#I found it funny that the container says that it supports immune health

[challahbeloved]

my festive purim drink of choice today is chocolate milk

[witchymarvelspacecase]

Firebug and Freezer Burn

My entry for @tilltheendwilliwrite​ ‘s 7.7k follower (covid sucks) writing challenge. 

Clearly my time management (and mental health management) is lacking, but I figured I would post this anyway. 

Sorry. 

The pic on the right was my prompt, I added the one on the left.

PLEASE FORGIVE THIS SHITASS TITLE

WC: 3276

Warnings: Fire, cursing, panic, being ill, fluff who the fuck knows

The small suburban neighborhood evening was shattered by the fire engine sirens screaming toward the pillar of fire that had once been a family home. Neighbors who had called 911 huddled outside, speaking to responders as they arrived. The three person family living in the burning house hadn't been seen since the fire started, but as far as anyone knew, they had been at home earlier. The parents had picked up the little girl after school, and returned home like usual. On a normal night, they would have all been in bed by now, if not for the noisy terrier up the street, the fire may have spread farther. Tears burned in throats, and sobs were barely contained as smoke and ash stung sleepy eyes. Lucky. The neighbors were lucky, and they all felt it, the feeling increasing in strength as the minutes ticked by with no sign of the family.

There was practically nothing left of the house now. The supporting structural pieces were still standing, but drywall had been all but disintegrated, leaving an empty shell, filled with smoldering ash. Nothing could have survived a blaze that hot.

An impossible shout came from a firefighter in the house. Firefighters converged on their brother and all blinked in surprise at what they saw. A small body, unconscious but unharmed, wrapped in an equally small blanket. The little girl, she was untouched by fire, though it was clear it had burned through the room around her. Her bed was ash beneath her, and nothing of her room remained standing. She seemed asleep, snoring softly as her dreams went undisturbed by the chaos around her.

The only thing odder still was her skin. It was tinged gray. That could have just been the smoke, if not for the cracks. Like lava creating fissures in soft volcanic stone, lines glowed red-orange all across her skin, visible even underneath her nightgown. The stunned firemen didn’t seem to know how to react, but one of the EMTs on sight already had their phone up to their ear, 

“Phil, you need to get here. There’s someone you’re gonna want to see.”

...Years Later

Having been raised by Phil Coulson, your life was fairly heavily impacted by SHIELD (and the tales of Captain America), it wasn’t a surprise that you became an agent. Though Phil actually wasn’t too happy about his little girl being put into dangerous situations, you gained his approval after pointing out that you would probably involve yourself in dangerous situations whether or not you had the training or backup that SHIELD provided. Working with the Avengers probably shouldn’t have surprised you either, but all you knew you had was your immunity to fire. Turned out that ability, in combination with your martial arts and weapons training from SHIELD, was actually incredibly useful to the Avengers. One mission became several more, and before you knew it, you were living with them.

Phil was a pretty constant visitor, he wasn’t “checking on you”, he was “touching base with the team”, or fanboy-ing over Cap. Mmmmhmm, sure thing. You knew better, but you generally didn’t call him on it, though it got you a lot of shit from Tony Stark. Honestly, Tony would have found something to tease you about either way. Being called “kid” was probably pretty tame, especially considering Tony’s other name for you: “Glow-Stick”. Clint called you “kid” all the time anyway.

The two members of the team who could have called everyone “kid” were usually the most respectful. Steve never called you anything other than your name, Bucky had called you a few different names, but none of them pejorative. Natasha tended to refer to everyone but Clint by their last name, and Sam, well Sam just called you an idiot, but that was for a different reason.

“Well you are an idiot. Seriously, you oughtta man-up and tell him already.” You and Sam were in the lounge area, having reached a commercial break during the game you were watching. He was leaning back against the arm of the sofa opposite you, rolling his eyes.

“First of all, ‘man-up’? Really? You wanna have that discussion again?” you gave him a significant look, eyebrow raised in indignation. He scoffed and waved you off, you continued, “second of all, mind your own business.”

“He’s gonna die in his sleep before you say anything at this point,” Sam’s voice was mocking.

“Stay in your own lane Wilson,” you growled.

“I’m just saying-”

“Nothing. You’re just saying nothing. The game’s back on.”

“C’mon , you gotta -”

“No, Sam.”

“What’s he up to now?” Natasha asked as she walked into the room, dropping into a seat with a bowl of popcorn.

“Nuh-uh, I’m not saying shit to you.” You knew better than to even give a kernel of information to a master spy.

“Pft, I probably know whatever it is already,” she shrugged. She wasn’t wrong, but as long as she didn’t realize Sam was pushing you to admit it, Natasha wouldn’t interfere. 

You turned to watch the game, missing the glint in Sam’s eye as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

You weren’t going to say shit. The only reason Sam knew about your adolescent crush was that he had hung out with Phil for too damn long one night, and Phil had been a little too open with your story. Years of hearing about Captain America’s exploits had been a basis of your childhood, but Steve wasn’t the character who fascinated you. That was James Buchanan Barnes. Unlike your father figure, your interest lay in the Commando’s sniper, not its leader. Originally, you had wanted to specialize in long-range shooting, but now, having more intimate knowledge of just how involved sniping was, you were even more impressed with Bucky. There were way too many calculations involved in what he did, and he did it so well. 

He had been the yardstick you’d used to measure every romantic partner you’d had, and most of them fell short. That was before you knew he was alive. What was funny was that the Bucky you knew now beat the yardstick you’d made of his past self. 

He was sweet, and mindful of everyone around him, and when he wasn’t too deep in his own head, he was really funny. From the first night you had accidentally stumbled upon him on the roof after a nightmare, you’d been fast friends. Though he was the member of the team you worked with the least, he was the one you spent the most downtime with. Hence, why you put up with all his nicknames. Doll, Sugar, Sweetheart, Darlin’.

When a tennis ball bounced off your head, startling you out of the unintentional mental tangent, you realized that not only had more of the team entered the room, they had clearly been talking to you. 

A blush rapidly heated your face. “Sorry. What?”

“Where’s your head at, kid?” Tony asked. He was sprawled across the loveseat, looking more at you than at the TV.

“Nowhere important; zoned out a little. Guess I’m just tired.”

“Suuuuure you are,” Sam drawled, exchanging looks with Natasha. Your brow furrowed, but you said nothing. 

The topic changed back to the game, as Bucky came into the room. Steve was already seated in the armchair next to Natasha, but instead of crossing to his best friend, Bucky settled on the arm of the sofa, right beside you. Sam cleared his throat, and you shot him a threatening look. 

“Jesus Sam, what did you do to get her looking at you like that?” Steve asked. He sounded almost worried. You would have laughed at his concerned look, but you had to keep an eye on Sam. You let the silence stretch out, not answering Steve and not looking away from Sam, until you were reasonably sure he would keep his mouth shut.

“It’s nothing Steve. Sam just needs to mind his own business.”

“He is nosy as hell,” Bucky grumbled behind you, his arm going to the back of the couch and essentially around your shoulders.

“Aw, you’re just mad cause he’s bugging you about your secrets.”

“Natasha, I don’t care how hard it’ll be, I will kill you.” There was no inflection in your voice, nothing to give away how angry and scared you were. Maybe you should have given a little emotion for the team to read. Maybe then they would have let it go.

As it was, they collectively ganged up on you, grilling you, and refusing to be redirected until you snapped. 

“Just fucking drop it!” you shouted, throwing the tennis ball that was still in your hands at the last team member to pry, Tony.

Everyone was staring. And it took you a moment to process exactly why.

The tennis ball had been on fire.

It hadn’t been on fire before you threw it, and yet it was flaming when it almost hit Tony in the head.

Silence, and slow blinks all around. 

“Holy shit.” Sam was staring open mouthed.

“FRIDAY, when was the last time we checked the fire protocols?” Tony asked, his face still showing surprise, but his voice calm.

“I- I-... That-” you couldn’t seem to form a sentence. Your body seemed frozen to the spot.

“Well that’s interesting,” Natasha mused.

“Is this- is this new?” Clint asked from his seat on the floor in front of Natasha’s chair.

You didn’t know what to say. Was this new? You’d never done it before. You would have known if you had… right?

The only fire you’d ever been in was… oh god.

And just like that, your body was no longer frozen. You shot up out of your seat and sprinted down the hall. You ran into your room and passed through to the attached bathroom without checking if the door was closed, too intent on reaching your destination. Your knees hit the floor in front of the toilet just in time. 

Tears poured from your eyes as you retched. Panic had your chest and gut constricting, making you struggle to breathe. The room would have spun if your head weren’t resting on the cool porcelain of the toilet. As it was, your ears were ringing so much that you couldn't hear your own panting breaths, let alone someone entering the room behind you. You wouldn’t have known Bucky was there if he hadn’t slid his cool metal hand to the back of your neck.

“Shh, doll. It’s okay. It’s just me,” he soothed when you jumped.

You hiccuped in response, taking several minutes to calm to the point that he was able to usher you out of the bathroom. 

Sitting you on the edge of your bed, Bucky stepped back into your bathroom, flushing the toilet and wetting a soft washcloth before coming back to you. He held out the cloth, but when you failed to take it, he began to gently wipe at your face. 

“You know none of the team is upset or freaked out, so what made you run outta there?” Bucky asked quietly.

“What if I did it?” you asked in response, your voice so low Bucky almost missed it.

“Did what, doll?”

“The fire, my parents-” you cut off, unable to say anything more, as fresh tears filled your eyes.

Phil Coulson had been a fantastic foster dad, no doubt about it, but your child’s brain took a long time to adjust to his parenting style. You had missed your parents. Phil had done his best not to erase your parents from your memories. He didn’t know much about them, but your old neighbors had been happy to share stories with you, and you’d created an idealistic version of them in your head. You couldn’t understand why you had survived and they hadn’t, and the nightmares that had followed you into adulthood were still traumatic. What if you had been the cause of the mysterious fire that had killed them. 

“Doll. Hey. Hey Sugar, look at me okay?” Bucky’s hands were on either side of your face. When you met his eyes you got the feeling he had been trying to get your attention for a while. His thumbs softly rubbed your cheekbones as he spoke. “It wasn’t you, doll. It wasn’t your fault.”

“How- how can you possibly know,” you asked in a whisper, trying to pull your face out of his grip, but his fingers tightened slightly. 

“You’ve never done that before. And you’ve only been in one mystery fire.”

“Yeah but-” you started, but Bucky talked right over you.

“If you had been able to start fires as a kid, you would have had it happen around you frequently. When you were angry, when you were scared; it would have happened all the time when you were little, but it didn’t.” He brushed a tear from the corner of your eye and his voice softened. “It wasn’t you honey. I’m sure of it.”

That was a sentiment that he repeated with a few minor variations for several minutes until you calmed down. Once you did, you realized that the position you were in was a little close for comfort. At some point, Bucky had moved from kneeling in front of you, to sitting on the bed beside you, to holding you in his lap. He had his arms around you and your head tucked under his chin. 

However, when you squirmed slightly, embarrassed by your behavior and more than ready to put some space between you and the super soldier you had a giant crush on, Bucky did not let you go.

“Buck,” you said, your voice was a little gravely from crying, “I’m okay.”

“Yeah?” He replied, not sounding convinced.

“Yeah, you can let me go now.” You were fairly certain he could feel the heat in your face through his shirt.

“I can, but I don’t want to.”

“I- what?” you stuttered.

“I happen to like holding you, never got to do it before, but I’ve decided I like it and I’m not ready to let you go yet.” Bucky said it in such a matter of fact tone, it sounded reasonable.

The fuck? Did you hear that right? Uh….

Before you could formulate any kind of response, Bucky’s phone started to ring. He managed to get it from his pocket and answer it without releasing you.

“Hello Agent Coulson, thank you for calling me back. Yes, she’s right here, hold on,” he held the phone out to you.

Still in a sort of shock, you took the phone without question. “Papa?” You used the name you called him when you were little. He was never “Dad” or “Daddy” you could remember calling your father that. No, Phil Coulson was “Papa”.

“Hey sweetie. I heard you had a little scare.” You almost burst into fresh tears, but Phil continued. “You never really asked me about the fire, so I never made it a point to tell you about it. It wasn’t you sweetheart.” As Bucky continued to hold you, occasionally rubbing your back, or rocking you slightly, Phil told you about your father’s business, and the intense and hostile relationship he had with his rival. A rival who had decided that killing your father and your family was the best way to enable a hostile takeover of your father’s much more successful business.

An entire amusement park’s worth of emotions rolled through you as you listened to the tale. Anger so intense you could feel smoke all but coming out your ears.

“Doll,” Bucky softly drew your attention, his fingers ever so lightly grazing your arm. When you looked down, you almost jerked out of his hold.

“Holy fuck!” The lava fissures were glowing across your skin. You knew you let off heat when you were like that. You’d burned plenty of bad guys, guards, and assholes as soon as they made skin contact. “Bucky, let me up.” He did, but he didn’t leave the room as you finished your call with Phil.

Phil felt guilty for not telling you all this earlier, but you shook your head, forgetting he couldn’t see you. “It’s not your fault, Papa. I didn’t know this was even a possibility for me to do, I never questioned the fire before. There’s no reason for you to tell me, I didn't ask.” After reassuring him a few more times, and promising to visit him soon and showing him what you’d done, assuming you could repeat the stunt, you said your goodbyes. “Love you, Papa.”

“Love you too sweetheart. See you soon.”

You handed Bucky his phone back, not getting too close to him. But he took his phone and then quickly grabbed your wrist, pulling you close to him again.

“Bucky, you're gonna get burnt!” “No I won’t. You haven’t burned me before, and I’ve been near you like this before. It’s okay.”

“You’ve what?! Why would you do that?!”

“Why would you let me get anywhere near you?”

“Huh?” Well that was a topic change.

“I’m just as dangerous as you. More so actually, I’ve hurt and killed way more people than you probably ever will. You never hesitated to get near me.” Bucky held up his metal arm, drawing attention to it.

“That’s different Bucky, I don’t have control of this. You have control, you would never choose to hurt me.”

“It’s not different to me. I’m not afraid of you. You wouldn’t intentionally hurt me, and I trust you to keep me safe.” You shook your head, incredulous. “You’ve never burned your clothes. You have burned the shit out of people before, but you’ve never burned your clothes.” When you didn’t respond, Bucky said, “you’re in control, Sugar, and I trust you.”

Too many revelations in one day. That was your explanation. A second after Bucky stopped speaking, you registered what he was saying, and dropped your forehead to his, all the fight leaving your body, as your eyes closed. He settled you more comfortably on his lap but kept your foreheads together.

You sighed. “It’s been a hell of a day,” you said with a laugh.

“You’ve had a few shocks alright,” Bucky agreed. After a short pause, he spoke again. “Think you can handle one more?”

You hummed, “probably,” and soft lips pressed against yours. 

A quick intake of breath and your eyes shot open, but you didn’t pull away. “Bucky?”

It was his turn to hum. A small smile slowly spreading across lips that had just pulled back from yours.

“What- why?”

“Been wanting to do that for a while. And if you don’t want to tell me to fuck off, I’m gonna want to do it again. You gonna tell me to fuck off?”

Hesitantly, you shook your head and the smile on his lips stretched. When he pulled back from your second kiss, you could feel a matching smile on your own lips.

Hours later, the two of you emerged from your room, a plan in place to test your new ability. Another plan for how to explore your relationship with both of you being Avengers and having very little privacy. And most importantly, a plan in place to fuck with your nosy, annoying teammates. 

“Hey there, Matches,” Tony called as he spotted you from down the hall.

“Seems I’ve got a new name,” you grumbled. 

“At least you’re not ‘Manchurian Candidate’,” Bucky grouched, pressing a kiss to your temple. A kiss Tony did not miss.

“OH MY GOD! Firebug and Freezer Burn are kissy-face!” Tony Stark, a 12 year old. You rolled your eyes and prepared yourself for handling your teammates.

[kenzhl-blog]

Bundy supposedly found out who his mother was

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[colitisandme]

Firstly let me say I love my husband. He’s kind, funny, thoughtful and odd but he’s also become an incubus of plague this week and is snuffling, coughing, wheezing and sneezing all over the house. Short of following him round with detol and spraying him with antiseptic every time he snuffles near my general direction, banishing him to the shed to live with the bunnies, refusing to breathe his air space, or placing him in a breathable human sized container, I have been unable to delay the inevitable. My ratio of goo to human has shifted in the goo’s favour and I woke up yesterday feeling like my brain was living underwater.

Now a silly cold shouldn’t bother me, but it does. It scares me because my immune system is so erratic it fights everything whether it should or not. My immune system is like an unco-operative drunk leaving a pub at 3 in the morning, flailing about and fighting a lamp post, hi fiving themselves and their reflection in the pub window, before falling down in a heap on the pavement hiccuping, and singing sea shanties to the taxi driver down the phone who looks nervous when he is tasked to take it home as he finds it tangoing with a KFC sign. That’s how useless my immune system is.

As a result a tiny cold can snowball into a 3 week severe congested, goo filled snufflefest and a bite from an over enthusiastic bug can turn my body into a cocophany of itching, hives, misery, swelling and blistering heat. My body just goes hyperactive. My homeopath explained to me that my immune system is always on overdrive, always on the go, blindfolded and wildly bashing and punching every cell whether it looks like it’s protecting me or not, because my immune system can’t recognise which cell is good or bad. It’s hard work. Every little symptom I get outside my IBD is magnified. Even after using 3 tubes of cream, hydrocortisone, calomine lotion and anti histamine tablets I still look like a red, swollen and scratch driven, paint by numbers mess, So after waking up with a cold then chastising my husband for lovingly bringing in the germs from the outside world, I wonder how long this is going to last.

With a cold, with hives, with a UTI, stomach virus, ear infection or any other mild illness, my IBD symptoms go through the roof. The fatigue, the achey muscles and the pain increases. My body exerts so much effort trying to function normally, that anything out of the usual throws it into tumble dryer mode. There’s just no more room in my body for any unwanted guest, so any goo or bug that tries to force its way into my body, there’s a definite overcrowding issue and my already swollen, sore, and stuffed full of stones body just can’t deal with any more visitors.

When I had glandular fever as a teen, I was innundated with a variety of fun illnesses and infections. Throat viruses throat infections, chest infections, flu, pelvic infections, thrush, head colds all graced my presence in a very regular basis. As soon as I got over one thing, another one would introduce itself, take off its shoes, wipe its feet on the welcome mat of my immune system, put on its goggles, swimmys and dive right in doing the backstroke throughout my ailing body. So as a result, my immune system has always been weaker than a ‘normal’ immune system and because of this I have battled illness big and small all my life.

When IBD welcomed itself into my body, I was ready for the fight, I strapped on my boxing gloves, and got ready to rumble with this thing, but when I was told by my GP that this was a lifelong condition interspersed with long and short periods of remission I was floored, that on this occasion nothing my immune system would do would make it better. This time I wasn’t able to rely or not rely on my fragile immune system to fight this. I was forced to take a different approach.

I dived into research, my family tore through books, looked up experts supporting clients with leaky gut and colitis, looked into diet options. My mum found me the contact details of my homeopath who I can quite honestly say is the most wonderful lady, who has supported me and rejuvenated me with therapy and remedies, to try and strengthen my body and mind. Not to beat the IBD but to build up everything around it to ease the symptoms of IBD, the feelings I was having about IBD and everything external to it. My body and my mind were both furious and I had to do a lot of placating, soothing and administered anger management seminars to try and make the two co-operate. I was determined to work as hard as I could on everything else- body, mind and wellness aside from the IBD so I would be able to be as strong as I could be to tackle everything that was being thrown at me.

So even though my immune system is a flailing, unco-operative drunk, a toddler that puts her fingers in her ears and won’t listen to me trying to persuade her to put down the human sized chocolate bar, and eat some sprouty things for the good of her health. I thank it for trying. I am grateful to it for trying to put up its fists against a barrage of symptoms and illnesses. I am blessed that it has fought for 3 weeks to try and keep the hives at bay, the itching to a minimum, the heat away from my skin and it tries to soothes the pain away. It doesn’t always manage it. But it tries. It really does. And for that I love it. So even though my husband has hurled more germs it’s way, I know that even though If it takes 3 weeks, it will give it’s best shot and put up a fight. It may lose, but it will keep fighting, and fighting and fighting no matter the odds and for that my immune system is a bloody trouper.

[vanceoliver]

Bacterial Vaginosis Or Trichomoniasis Super Genius Cool Ideas

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This is not a sexually transmitted disease, abstinence is recommended that you have got it started in the vagina.Alternately supplements are also very expensive.This is an example of how your immune system.While bacterial vaginosis home remedy plans.Bacterial vaginosis is an inflammation affecting the chances of them include washing the area around the outside of the vaginal area.

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You will not and can cause some minor but unpleasant side effects and in some personal hygiene problems that females suffer from.Little do these women know, that when inserted into your diet is not a good natural cure does seem to have those symptoms.Learning to cope with the bacterial vaginosis is a weak acid with anti-bacterial as well as ways to clear up the immune system, the harmful bacteria within the vagina.Get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, organic are best but not normally from woman to feel isolated and make sure you get what you can buy and they symptoms I would start to flourish and wreak havoc.The fact that your natural balance in the vagina's natural lubricants.

[gethealthy18-blog]

315: Mindfulness for Moms With Ziva Meditation’s Emily Fletcher

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315: Mindfulness for Moms With Ziva Meditation’s Emily Fletcher

Child: Welcome to my Mommy’s podcast.

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Katie: Hello and welcome to the Wellness Mama Podcast. I’m Katie with wellnessmama.com and I’m here with Emily Fletcher, who is the founder of Ziva Meditation and world renown expert on meditation as a path to extraordinary performance. Her book, “Stress Less, Accomplish More” is a must read and one of the best books out there if you are looking to detox emotionally and mentally. She has taught more than 20,000 students around the world, including leaders at Apple, Google and Harvard Business school. And she’s also helped this very Type-A Mom to learn how to meditate as well. And I love how her approach is that we meditate not to get better at meditation, but to get better at life. And we talk about that and so much more today and I know that you will enjoy this episode as much as I did. Without further ado, let’s join Emily.

Emily, welcome. Thanks for being here.

Emily: What a joy to get to be here. Thank you for having me.

Katie: I am so excited to chat with you. I first met you or knew of you at an event a couple of years ago when you spoke, and one of the things that you said that really resonated with me was that we meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation. And that’s when I started paying attention to you actually because I had never been great at meditating and the idea of, like, clearing my mind was not something that was ever gonna happen to me. And so I think, like, when you said that, I started listening to what you were saying and realized you had this whole different approach. So, I wanted to start there. Why is that such an important distinction when we start talking about meditation?

Emily: Because so many people are exactly like you in that they’ve tried meditation. They felt like a failure because they couldn’t clear their mind. They assume that it’s just not for them, and then they potentially rob themselves of a lifetime of more productivity, more energy, more happiness because they’re judging themselves based on misinformation. So many people are trying to clear their mind because some yoga teacher somewhere said, “Just let your thoughts go.” And so, it’s we have a world full of ex-meditators when this doesn’t have to be the case because the point is not to clear the mind. The point really is to be happier, to have more energy, to have better sleep, to have a better immune system, and to be kinder with your kids. Like, that’s why we do this stuff. No one cares if you’re good at meditation.

Katie: Yeah, that’s I think such an important point. Most of us are not trying to reach, like, monk level of, you know, meditation in our daily lives. We want it to be practical, and that makes so much sense when you explain it. I feel like meditation has had such a time in the sun that most people probably are really familiar with it. But I also feel like there’s a lot of misconceptions. So, to get really basic for a second, walk us through what actually is the definition of meditation. What does that mean?

Emily: So, the simplest definition would be a stress-relieving tool, but that definition I think is too vague because if that’s your only criteria, then so is a bottle of wine, so is bingeing on Netflix, you know, so is smoking pot. And it’s funny. When I tell people I’m a meditation teacher, they’re like, “Oh, cool, exercise is my meditation,” or, “Cooking is my meditation.” I’m like, “Y’all cooking is called cooking, and exercise is called exercise, and meditation is called meditation. That’s why they have their own words.” So, I think a stress-relieving tool is not quite specific enough. Now, what we teach at Ziva, which is the name of my company, we teach a type of meditation that’s giving your body rest that’s five times deeper than sleep, and I’m gonna say that again because I think especially for moms, that’s a really exciting factor. This style of meditation is giving your body rest that is five times deeper than sleep.

So, it’s kind of like a supercharged power nap that you can do in 15 minutes without the sleep hangover, but on the other side, you’re even more awake. And the other really important point here is that in this style of meditation, you’re not only handling your stress from today, you’re also going in and healing all your stress from the past. And this is really important because most of what people are calling meditation, meaning most of the free apps out there, most of the guided things on YouTube, most of the drop-in studios, are actually teaching what I would call mindfulness. And mindfulness and meditation are oftentimes being used as synonyms, but they are not the same thing. And so, the big distinguishing factor between the two is that mindfulness is all about focusing, and it’s very good at dealing with your stress in the now. So, let’s say you have a crazy day with your kids. You go to work. You come home. Your kids are out of control. You’re really stressed. You do 10 minutes of headspace or calm or something. And it handles your stress in the now like a state change, like taking an aspirin if you have a headache.

Now, what I’m teaching at Ziva is not only handling your stress from the now, but it’s also getting rid of all your stress from the past. It’s going in and healing things cellularly, and now we even know it’s healing things on an epigenetic level, which is what we’ve inherited from our parents and what we pass onto our children. And this is big because it’s ultimately eradication of the backlog of stresses that we have in ourselves. If we do that, this is what gives us a return on the time investment. So, for 15 minutes invested in your meditation because you’re getting rid of the stress that you’ve been storing in your body, that stuff that’s making us all stupid, sick, and slow, and you start to have more time in your day because your brain gets faster. Your immune system is stronger. Your creativity is more tuned in. Your intuition is stronger.

And so, this is why I find especially with Ziva that the ROI is just higher. And this is, I think maybe it takes me to the other misconception around meditation is that it’s not… The first is people think they can’t clear their mind, which we can talk about more, but the other is that people think that they’re too busy, and we’re all too busy to waste our time. None of us have time to waste. And if you’re just doing 10 minutes and then getting yourself out of triage, but ultimately not healing the root cause, then I would say that’s not a really great investment of your time. But if you’re going in and not only feeling better in the now but actually handling the very root cause, the cause of the anxiety, the cause of the insomnia, the cause of the overwhelm, then this becomes a very productive and valuable investment of your time.

Katie: That makes sense. And honestly, if I think back even a couple of years ago, I think I would have still been a lot more skeptical of just how dramatically something like that can impact your biology until I had an experience myself actually because I had trauma in high school. And I thought I had dealt with it and I had done all the talk therapy. And I thought I was totally fine. And then I had a type of bodywork combined with just being in a situation that got me out of my comfort zone. And, like, I had this entirely different type of emotional release happen to the point that literally, like, my body shook for an hour. It was like when you see an animal almost get killed, and then they’re fine, and all that adrenaline has to come out.

It was like a decade of adrenaline, just, like, shaking out of my body. And that alone, my body has changed so much in the past few months with my diet, lifestyle, everything staying exactly the same. So, I’m definitely now much more of a believer of just how drastically our mental state and our emotions can really, really impact our physiology, like dramatically impact us. I’m a nerd, though, so I’d love to go a little deeper, and can you explain, like, biochemically and physiologically what’s happening in the body when we meditate? Like what are some of the pathways that we’re activating? Are we going into parasympathetic or what are some of the ways it’s affecting us?

Emily: Yes. Thank you for asking that. And also, thank you for illustrating so beautifully the difference between what I would call a software upgrade and a hardware upgrade. So, you know, not all of us, but a lot of us have done the talk therapy for years, and I would call that a software upgrade. You know, it’s you changing your operating system. It’s changing the lens through which you see the world. But this meditation work and that somatic work or energy work and bodywork, it is oftentimes healing things on a cellular level. It’s changing your nervous system, so it’s giving you a hardware upgrade. It’s like upgrading your computer, and then, ultimately, you can run more elegant software if you have a more advanced computer. And so, at the end of the day, we’re gonna have to do both. We’re going to have to uplevel the hard drive and the software. So, thank you for illustrating that so beautifully.

Okay, so let’s dive down the nerdy science rabbit hole. So, when the body launches into fight or flight, then we go into sympathetic, which is the body is basically preparing for a predatory attack. This comes out of, you know, millions of years of evolution of protecting us from tigers, and lions, and bears. So, let’s say you’re in the woods, and a tiger jumps out at you with the intent to kill. Your body will launch into a series of chemical reactions. The first thing that happens is your digestion will flood with acid because we need to shut down digestion because we can’t waste any of that digestive energy.

We need all that energy to fight or flee the tiger. That same acid will seep onto your skin so that you don’t taste too good if you get bitten into by the tiger. Your bladder and bowels evacuate so you can be light on your feet. Blood thickens and coagulates so that if you get bitten into, you don’t bleed to death. Your vision will narrow. Your immune system goes to the back burner because who cares if you’re going to get cancer if you’re about to be killed by a tiger? Like, again, we need all hands on deck.

So, this series of chemical reactions is very useful if your demands are predatory attacks, but if your daily demands are kids, and in-laws, and deadlines, and school projects, and emails, and traffic, the fight or flight thing has become maladaptive. It’s disallowing us from performing at the top of our game. This backlog of accumulated stresses is making us stupid, sick, and slow as a species. And so, when we start meditating, what happens is we go in, and within 30 to 45 seconds, we de-excite the nervous system, which means that metabolic rate decreases, which doesn’t mean you’re going to gain weight. This is the rate with which the body consumes oxygen.

So, your breathing slows, your heart rate slows, your body temperature cools. And then within less than a minute, your brain is producing dopamine and serotonin, which are alkaline in nature. And they are basically nature’s antidote to cortisol and adrenaline, which are stress hormones and those are acidic by nature. And if you’ve ever studied Ayurvedic medicine, acid equals inflammation. And inflammation we know is the basis of all chronic disease. And so, if we are chronically inflamed, if we’re chronically stressed, then the body is just a little bit too acidic or a little bit too hot.

And so, when we start meditating, not only do we clear out the adrenaline and cortisol, we start flooding the body with dopamine and serotonin, which are alkaline in nature. And this is why, according to Tufts and… I forget the name of the other university, but there’s two universities who have done studies on how meditation can reverse your body age. Tufts says eight years. And I think it’s Wake Forest, actually, says somewhere up to 15 that you can reverse your body age by somewhere between 8 to 15 years with meditation. And there was another study that came out, so just saying that you can reverse your brain age, that the average meditator at 50 has the brain of a 25-year-old.

And this is based on neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and also the strengthening of something called the corpus callosum, which is the thin white strip that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain. So, I mean, this all sounds too good to be true, and people are like, “What do you mean? Meditation can do this, this, this, and this?” But really the question we should be asking is, you know, “How is stress messing so many things up?” Because according to Harvard Medical School, stress is responsible for 90% of all doctor’s visits, and scientists are calling it the black plague of our century. And the cool thing here is that stress is not an incurable illness. We have a cure to it. It’s called meditation. We all just think we’re too busy to meditate.

Katie: Yeah, I think you’re so right about that. And, I mean, you explain it so well, all the neuroscience about meditation and how many benefits that has. And like I said, it’s had its time in the sun. There’s enough really successful people saying it’s a huge part of the reason they’re so successful that I think people are paying attention. But why do you think that so many of us still… Like, I even still am guilty of saying, like, “I can’t… I’m not good at meditating, and I can’t quiet my mind.” Like, why are people still saying that when obviously it’s so important?

Emily: I think people are saying that, “I don’t have time, and I can’t clear my mind,” because of the misconception between mindfulness and meditation. So, you know, like I was saying a moment ago, most of the free “meditation apps” are actually teaching what I would call mindfulness. Anytime someone is guiding you through, like a guided YouTube video or if you go to a drop-in studio and someone is telling you to imagine a waterfall or count your breaths or focus on your chakras, anytime you’re directing your focus, I’m putting that in the category of mindfulness. And mindfulness, like I said, is very good at dealing with your stress in the now, but because it’s not ultimately getting rid of the root cause, because it’s not healing the backlog of stresses from your past, then it’s creating a state change versus meditation is creating a trait change. It’s actually altering yourselves. It’s altering your genes and going after the root cause.

So, what I have found is that with meditation, and specifically with Ziva, the return on time investment is exponential. It’s basically… We’ve done the math. Fifteen minutes twice a day is 2% of your day. So, the question is, are you willing to invest 2% of your day to make the other 98% more effective, more productive, more happy, more present? Versus with mindfulness, while you might feel better in the now, for a lot of people, they report that it’s not giving them that same ROI. They don’t feel more productive later. It’s more of a triage like, “I feel like I’m having an anxiety attack, so let me do this app right now,” or, “I already have insomnia, so let me listen to this guided meditation thing to help me fall asleep.” But we’re ultimately not treating what caused the insomnia to begin with.

And so, I think that this is the timepiece. It’s like whatever time investment you’re making, you need to be getting more time back in your day. I had the good fortune of teaching Dr. Mark Hyman to meditate, who’s the founder of the Functional Medicine Center at the Cleveland Clinic, and I’d say, like, one of the world’s, like, leading doctors and certainly in functional medicine. And he says for the two meditations that he does a day, he gets back about three hours in his day. He’s like, “I have three more hours of productivity, three more hours of fun, three more hours of energy to go out dancing or to be with my wife or my friends.” And that to me is the special sauce because, again, none of us have time to waste.

Now, the clearing of the mind piece. I think people are confusing the results for the technique because if you sit down and meditate, chances are afterwards you are gonna feel more clear. You are gonna be more present. You are gonna be more intuitive. You won’t be so mired with, you know, stress and anxiety. However, just because clarity of mind is a result of meditation, that does not mean that it is the practice of meditation. So, if you sit down and close your eyes and try to clear the mind, you’re always gonna feel like you’re failing because the mind thinks involuntarily, just like the heart beats involuntarily. So, trying to give your brain a command to shut up is as impactful as trying to give your heart a command to stop beating. It does not work. And yet this is what everybody is trying to do, and this is why everybody thinks it’s hard because we’re judging ourselves based on an impossible criteria.

And this is because a lot of the mindfulness practices that people are adopting are derivations of things that were originally made for monks. Like even if you think about Headspace, Andy was a monk. You know, the biggest personal brand on Facebook, Jay Shetty, was a monk. And so, mindfulness… We almost fetishize monks a little bit in the West, and we think, “Well, whatever monks are doing must be more powerful. They must be vibrating or levitating.” But it’s the other way around. If you have a job, and kids, and stuff to do, then you have less time in your day with which to meditate. So, you actually need a practice that is more powerful. You need a practice that you can go in, do, and then come out with more energy on the other side. And so, the meditation portion of the Ziva technique is based on something that’s 6,000 years old, but it was made for people like us. It was made for people with busy minds and busy lives. So, it’s just you go in, you get out. It’s not about meditating all day, which is what monks are doing. That is their contribution to society. They can afford to do something that’s a little bit gentler.

Katie: That makes perfect sense. And I know Dr. Hyman as well, and that’s really drastic. I had not heard him say that. That’s amazing that he feels like he gets that big of a return for meditating. And it reminds me a little bit of that quote. I believe maybe it was Saint Francis or somebody who said it, like, “Pray for half an hour a day unless you’re too busy and then pray for an hour a day.” Like, the people who are the most busy are the ones that most need this. On the nerdy note for a second again, I’m curious. Are there any studies or any data that you’ve seen between a regular meditation practice like this and changes in heart rate variability? Because I’ve been tracking that just as a pet project lately, and I’m curious if there’s anything that shows data on that.

Emily: Yes. And so, people will put the heart rate variability training… They’ll even call that meditation, which I think that that is really valuable and a great thing to do, but it’s much more active. And whereas Ziva is kind of, like, the lazy man’s meditation, it’s more like taking a nap sitting up. But ultimately, what we’re doing with Ziva is that we’re getting rid of the stress in the body. And so, when you’re not meditating, you’re not as stressed, you’re just at a normal homeostasis. And the whole gig with heart rate variability, the reason why we want ourselves to be more variable, is so that if a tiger comes, you’re ready to launch into fight or flight. If it’s time to go to sleep, you can down-regulate. You can go to sleep really quickly.

It’s like we want to be variable. We want to be adaptive to whatever the circumstances of life are calling upon, and that’s the whole point of meditation. You’re increasing your ability to adapt versus someone who is chronically stressed, who has chronic amounts of cortisol and adrenaline, and their heart rate is very, very high all the time, that person can’t down-regulate when it’s appropriate. That person sometimes can’t up-regulate when it’s appropriate because at some point their adrenals get shot and their adrenaline… Like, it’s almost, like, it expires because you’re always on guard even when it’s not appropriate. So, let’s say you got into a car accident. And if your adrenals are already shot, your body is not able to produce the appropriate amount of adrenaline when it needs it. So, we want to be variable. You know, we want to be able to up-regulate, down-regulate, and the less stress you have in your body, the easier it is for you to do that.

Katie: That makes sense. And as you are saying this, I’m also thinking, as a mom, my life would be tremendously easier if my kids also had the ability to do this. I know that you have a child, as well. I’m curious, is this something that can be integrated as a formula or that we can encourage our children to do that also will have benefits for them? Because I’ve heard so many adults who we learned this as adults after we were already stressed and burned out and everything else. Can we teach this to our kids from early ages and give them a foundation so hopefully they never have to do that?

Emily: Yes. And this is something I feel really passionate about, especially as a new mom myself. My son is only 15 months old, but even with him at night… You know, he’s still nursing, and so at night right when we turn the lights out, I mean, you know, cozy up. And assume… Our ritual now is that as soon as he starts nursing, I started taking some really deep breaths and I do it in an audible way. And then he mimics me, you know, so I’ll go (breathe in, breathe out) and then it’s almost like a game. And then he does his breath and then I do my breath and he does his breath. And he’s smiling while he’s doing it because I think it feels good for him, but it’s also a fun little game that we’re playing. And he can’t even talk yet. And so, I think the earlier we can introduce these tools, the better. And children are always learning by your example, not what you say. They’re gonna do what we do. They’re not gonna do what we say. And so, if you’re running around overwhelmed, stressed, not sleeping, living your life as a martyr, you know, always in overwhelm, always feeling behind schedule, they’re gonna see that and mirror that and it’s ultimately gonna stress them out.

I have people come to me all the time asking for a kid’s meditation training, and the first question I ask is, “Are you meditating?” And they’re like, “No, I don’t have time, but I want my kids to do it.” And it’s like, “Honey, guess what? Your stress is influencing your kid’s stress.” And so, the really exciting news here is that our big project for 2020 is where we’re launching Ziva Kids. And I’m so excited about we’re about to go into development for it. And it’s ultimately gonna be about 80% teaching the parents, and then 20% is gonna be modules for the kids based on how old they are and what they’re dealing with, which I’m thrilled about. But don’t wait for that. Don’t wait for me. I think that you can start introducing these tools and techniques to your kids soon.

But I really think that step one is you have to develop your own practice because you have to understand what it’s like yourself to be able to help guide your kids through it. Because any meditation practice worth its salt is usually gonna create some form of a detoxification. And this is something that no one is talking about, no one is warning anyone, about because we think, “Oh, when I start meditating, I should just be vibrating on a cloud of bliss, and I’ll never be sad again.” So that’s not how it works. You’re still a human. You still have feelings. And in the beginning, because most of us have all that stuff stored in our body, there’s a period of, like, physical and emotional release. And so, people can be very sad, and very anxious, and very angry, and very tired for the first few days and sometimes even weeks. And so, again, I think it’s important that the parent experiences that and knows how to get through it before helping their kids through it.

Now, obviously, kids, hopefully, don’t have as much stored stress as we do, but there still can be some even for kids because they’re so tapped into the collective. So, the answer is yes, and I can say mindfulness is a great thing to start kids on. And you could do breathwork. You could do even a few gentle yoga poses. You could have them imagine, you know, their favorite place. It’s any tools you can have to start bringing their attention inward to teach them that healing can happen on the inside, that when they’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or angry, that they can actually go inside and start to change their state internally, I think these are really valuable tools to share with our kids early on.

And I do… A lot of my training when I teach adults is that I tell them how to talk to their kids about it because a lot of people will use the excuse, “Well, I can’t meditate because I have kids.” And, you know, I just launched a book and a baby in the same year, and so it is possible and I was nursing every three hours the whole time. So, it’s intense, but it is possible. You just have to be strategic, and you have to make it a non-negotiable priority, and you can’t let perfect be the enemy of good. But I think that… My joke that I say to parents is, “Tell your kids that you’re training to be a Jedi.” They’re like, “Mommy is training to be a Jedi right now, so don’t interrupt me,” or, “If there’s bones or blood, then please interrupt mommy’s meditation. And if there’s no bones or no blood, then it can wait for 15 minutes.”

Katie: I love that. And yeah, I love that, “Mommy is training to be a Jedi.” That’s a great one. Especially, my kids are huge “Star Wars” fans, but I think you nailed it with the best way to teach kids anything because I say that about whether it’s nutrition or lifestyle stuff as well, good luck teaching them unless you’re doing it too. And the inverse of that is if you’re doing it, you really don’t have to do as much to teach them because they’re gonna naturally follow you. And I actually saw this happen in a different realm recently. Like for years, I had always thought like, “Oh, maybe one of my kids will want to take voice lessons, and then I’ll kind of, like, learn while they’re there,” because I had always wanted to take voice lessons. And then finally, I was like, “Wait, why don’t I just do it and not wait for my kids to be interested?” And I did, and now they’re all interested in voice lessons. And so…

Emily: Good for you. That’s awesome.

Katie: It’s terrifying because I had, like, never sang in public, but it’s also amazing. I’m like, “Good, they’re seeing me get out of my comfort zone. They’re seeing me be bad at something first and get better.” Like, those are such important lessons in life, but I think you are so right. Our kids pay so much attention to what we do, and that’s the easiest way to pass on anything. And I could see meditation becoming, like, a really good part of a morning routine as a family, maybe before school or as a bedtime routine. I think it could be a cool just like touchpoint with the family if you’re doing it with them versus just trying to get them to do it. But I want to circle back because you said something I have not heard before when it comes to meditation, and that was about the detox effect. So, explain that a little bit more because I definitely did not know that was a thing.

Emily: So, it’s not dissimilar to how when you had that energetic work of a somatic experience, and then your body started shaking. Like, that’s a very acute dramatic example of it where you did something, it created a level of cellular healing, and then there was a catharsis. There was a release of that trauma that had been in your body for a long time. And so, what’s happening with Ziva is that we’re going in and we’re giving our body this rest that’s five times deeper than sleep. And when you give your body the rest that it needs, it knows how to heal itself. And the cool thing here is it’s not only healing stress from today, but it’s also healing all that stress from our past. And so, even if you’ve done the talk therapy, even if you’ve read the self-help books, that stuff has been stored in your cellular memory, and when you start a meditation practice, it has to come up and out. It has to go somewhere.

And so, oftentimes as the stress is leaving, it can have a bit of the same flavor on the way out as it did on the way in. So, if you have some sadness inside, you might have a little sad-flavored stress coming up and out. If you haven’t slept in 10 years, well, guess what? You might be a little sleepy in the beginning, and this happens a lot with like young women. You know, anger is not really a part of our archetype, and so in the beginning of the first few weeks, sometimes they get very, very angry. And that’s honestly a big part of my job. And I think it’s why it’s important that you do have a meditation teacher because that’s when my job is a job in that I’ve been through it myself and I’ve helped over 20,000 people through it.

So, I see some patterns, you know, and it doesn’t scare me, versus if you just start meditating and you think it’s all sunshine and roses and you should never have a feeling again, and then suddenly you’re being confronted by the entirety of your life’s trauma with no guidance, no warning, and no support through that, that’s another reason why a lot of people quit. Now, they just tell themselves they’re too busy, but in reality, they don’t want to feel that because we’ve got billions of dollars of industry. Those don’t help in ensuring that we never have to feel our feelings. And now the meditation goes in and wrings you out. It makes the feeling non-negotiable. And so, I think it’s really important you have a community, that you have the intellectual framework and understanding of what’s happening, and you have the proper support through that so that you can get through to the other side and reap the rewards.

Katie: That makes sense. And it’s good to know, you know, if you’re starting this, and you’re new to make sure that you’re supporting your body through that and you have a practice of, you know, being prepared for that detox and making sure you’re getting enough rest and that you’re being supported through that. You’ve mentioned… Well, before we move to your book, I was gonna say there is a link to the Ziva technique in the show notes at wellnessmama.fm. So, if any of you guys are running or driving, don’t worry about writing it down, but do check out the show notes so you can learn more about it. But you also mentioned your book a couple of times. I would love to hear what was the impetus for the book and walk us through what the book does.

Emily: Sure. This book is called “Stress Less, Accomplish More,” and the subtitle is “Meditation for Extraordinary Performance,” which goes back to the first concept we talked about, which is that we meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation. And really the promise is in the title. What I’m promising you is that if you do this, you’re gonna stress less, and you’ll be able to accomplish more because stress is wasting our time and energy. And in the book, what I do is that there’s… It’s really broken into three parts. The first third is what I call the selfish reasons that we come to meditation. So, there’s a whole chapter on the science behind why it can help you have better sex. There’s a whole chapter on why it can reverse your body age. There’s a chapter on why it can improve your immune function. There’s a chapter on why it can increase your performance and productivity.

And then there’s also… I don’t know how many folks in here are dealing with fertility stuff, but we have crazy case studies around fertility. Like, that just was a bit of a surprise benefit for me. And then also jet lag. So, the first seven chapters are the selfish reasons that people come to meditation. And then, in part two, I teach a gentle version of the Ziva technique. It’s a bit gentler for the reason that I just said in that, you know, we’ve had over 42,000 people buy the book so far. And there’s only one of me, and I do think it’s important that you have the proper guidance. And so, anyone who buys the book can join our Facebook group. It’s called the Ziva Tribe. So, there is some level of support. I’m in there. My other teachers are in there. The guides are in there. But it’s still not super-specialized in a super-personalized guidance, so I made the book technique a little bit gentler than what people can learn online or in person. So, that’s part two of the book.

And then the third part of the book is we pull the lens way out, and we start to look at the ripple effect. It’s like, “Okay, well, how does you selfishly improving yourself, how does this impact your kids? How does this impact your relationship? How does it impact your coworkers, your town, your community, and then ultimately humanity itself?” Because at the end of the day, as we heal ourselves, we help to heal the collective. If we have 8 billion stressed out people, what do we think this world is going to look and feel like? If we have 8 billion people meditating every day, you know, what kind of ingenuity, what type of creativity, what type of generosity do you think we’re dealing with collectively at that point?

Katie: I love that. Definitely, I’ll make sure there’s a link to that as well in the show notes. You guys can check it out. I’m really curious. I will definitely check out the book to find out the full reason, but how can meditation help with sex? Because I hear from a lot of moms, especially new moms, who struggle with that, with changes in their sex life or libido after having kids. So, what are some of the ways it works there?

Emily: Yes. So, I think that, you know, postpartum and post-labor is its own thing. So, this is not like I never want to add to anyone’s pressure to feel like the sexiest woman alive and to have sex every day. It’s certainly not through postpartum, which is, decidedly, at least for my experience, was not that sexy. My postpartum was pretty intense. However, I think that the big reasons why people aren’t having as much sex as they would like are, one, that they’re too tired. And I think it’s 40% of cohabitating adults in America say that the number one reason they don’t have as much sex as they would like to is they’re too tired. And so, if you think about it very simply, if Ziva is giving your body rest that’s five times deeper than sleep, then for a 15-minute meditation it’s equivalent to an hour-long nap. Now, imagine if you can take an hour-long nap at 5:00, you might be a little nicer to your kids at dinner and bath time, and you may even have a little gas left in the tank after bedtime to go and have sex with your partner versus just being exhausted and spent.

Now, the other thing is that stress, if we go back to that tiger attack, and if we look at all of the things that happen in the body when we’re in that fight or flight state, if your body thinks it’s preparing for a tiger attack, the last thing it’s interested in is procreation. All it’s interested in is saving this meat suit. You know, it wants to protect this body. The last thing it’s worried about is making a new body that thinks it’s under attack. So, we have to get out of that fight or flight and get into what I call stay and play. And then once we’re there, once we’re in that parasympathetic, then all of the endocrine functions, the hormonal functions, all of that stuff starts to even out. And then that’s to say nothing of healing the sexual trauma that a lot of people have. You know, I think it’s something crazy like three in five women go through some form of sexual abuse or sexual trauma, and that plays into our relationships. And so, if the meditation can go in and start to heal that as well, I think that it allows you to be more present with your partner versus bringing a lifetime of baggage into your relationship.

Katie: That makes sense. And you’ve used the phrase several times about meditation being five times deeper than sleep. I’d love if we could elaborate on that a little bit more because I think most people kind of use sleep as the gold standard. And so, I’m curious, like what is it doing in the brain differently than sleep? And what are the changes people see in their sleep over time if they make this type of meditation a daily habit?

Emily: Great question. So, to be honest, that statement of that it’s five times deeper than sleep is not 100% accurate because it’s a different type of rest. I just haven’t figured out an easy way to say this in a nutshell, but I’m glad you asked to elaborate on it. So, when we go to sleep at night… And, of course, sleep is considered the gold standard if that is the most restful form of rest that you have, but it’s like, “Well, what if there was this other type of rest?” And so, in sleep, our brain is chilling, but the body actually has to be on guard. And this goes back to the same saber-tooth tiger. It goes back to the same protecting us from predators. So, let’s say it’s 10,000 years ago. You’re in your cave. It’s bedtime. If you ever watched someone as they’re falling asleep or if you watch your kids as they’re falling asleep, in the beginning, breathing is normal. But when the brain clicks into sleep, your breathing changes, and suddenly it’s (snoring). You start revving quite high, breathing quite deeply because you need your heart and lungs and blood to be oxygenated so that if that tiger comes in, by the time you wake up mentally, your body is oxygenated and prepared to launch into fight or flight.

Now, the exact opposite is happening in Ziva. In Ziva, your body is getting this deep rest, meaning that metabolic rate decreases, so this means your breathing is going to slow precipitously. Your heart rate slows. Your body temperature cools. Now here’s the trick. Nature will not let you rest that deeply physically and be in blackout sleep mentally at the same time because, at that point, you’re in evolutionary liability. If that tiger comes in and by the time you wake up out of blackout sleep and then your breathing speeds up, in order to launch into fight or flight, you would be tiger sacks. So, one or the other has to be on guard. When we’re sleeping, the brain is chilling, the body is on guard. When we’re meditating, the body is chilling, the brain is on guard. So, it’s almost the opposite of everything you’ve heard about meditation. People think you should be like in a deaf, dumb, and blind chamber of nothingness, but you’re actually very mentally alert during meditation. And it is that mental alertness that allows your body to get such deep healing rest, and it’s that deep healing rest that makes you more awake in your waking state, which is what’s making you better at life to bring it back full circle.

Katie: That makes complete sense that your body would not want to be in both of those states at the same time.

This episode is brought to you by Beekeepers Naturals – superfood products from the hive that help support your family’s health. Right now, their Propolis has been a lifesaver with all of the sniffles and coughs going around where we live. If you’re not familiar with it, Propolis is a resinous mixture that bees make in the hive and contains over 300 compounds including polyphenols and compounds that are antibacterial and a compound called pinocembrin that acts as an antifungal. Some studies have shown that propolis can speed wound healing. It’s natural antibacterial and antifungal properties also make it great for fighting the sniffles. At first sign of any sniffles, sore throat or coughing, I spray propolis in the throat and it almost always helps us bounce back quickly. I also use propolis before flying to avoid picking up anything on the plane. You can save 15% on propolis and all beekeepers naturals products at beekeepersnaturals.com/wellnessmama with the code wellnessmama

This podcast is brought to you by Wellnesse… a new company I co-founded to tackle the toughest personal care products and create natural and safe products that work as well as conventional alternatives. I realized that even the most natural of my friends still used conventional toothpaste and shampoo because they weren’t willing to sacrifice quality. There are natural options and ones that work, but to find products that do both was almost impossible. We tackled the toughest first, creating the first and only natural toothpaste that is fluoride and glycerin free, and that has calcium and hydroxyapatite to uniquely support the mineral balance in the mouth. It also contains neem oil and green tea to support a healthy bacterial balance in the mouth and fight bad breath. Be the first to try it and our innovative natural hair care at wellnesse.com

Katie: For people who are curious, and I am too, what is the like practical way that the program works? Is it like an online course that you follow because it’s something people can learn over time and then integrate without needing to follow something or what does it look like?

Emily: Yes, that’s exactly it. So, what I love about Ziva and the book and ZivaONLINE, basically, all of my trainings are designed to make you self-sufficient. It is designed to give you the keys to the car and the driving instructions so that you can do this stuff on your own for life, meaning that, you know, let’s say it is 11:00 at night or 10:00 at night and you’re in the room with your kids. You don’t need to like go get an iPad and make sure it’s charged and have it on dim mode, so the lights aren’t coming in their eyes and have the perfect speakers or headphones or… You know, there’s no electronics required once you graduate, which… And this is a little bit of a secret. It’s like all those meditation apps out there, the “free” meditation apps, they’re designed to keep you tethered to your phone. If they’re free to use… And that means they’re getting their money off of advertising dollars, which means that they are monetized by how long your eyeballs are on your phone.

And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my eyeballs on my phone for my meditation practice. And so, the idea here is that once you move through the online course, you have the tools to take with you for life. And I don’t know that I said this yet, but the Ziva technique is a trifecta of mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting. So, the three Ms, that’s what we teach. So, with the online course, it’s about 15 minutes a day for 15 days. So, it’s like, ideally, you just wake up before the kids get up and watch it first thing in the morning before coffee, and it builds upon itself. So, the first 3 days are mindfulness, and then days 4 through 12, you learn the meditation. And that’s really where the magic happens. That’s where this deep rest comes. That’s where you’re actually given something called a mantra, which is not a slogan, it’s not a saying, but it’s a very powerful mind vehicle. That’s what mantra means. It’s a song script word. Man means mind, and tra means vehicle. And that’s kind of, like, the key to the Ziva car.

So, you get that, and you use that days 4 through 12, and then once you become an expert in that, we move on to the manifesting. And that sounds a little witchy or a little hippy-dippy, but it’s not. It’s you getting clear on what it is that you want in your life. And I find that for so many of us, we’ve been in survival mode for so long that it’s easy to forget our dreams, especially as moms. It’s so easy to start taking care of everyone else and forget what you want. And so, I love this manifesting piece because you do it just for two minutes at the end of your meditation, and it’s time to start to ask a question such as, “What would I love right now? What would I love right now,” not, “What should I do,” no, “What do my kids need,” not, “What’s going to make me the most money,” not, “What would look good on Instagram,” but, “What would I love right now?”

And what I’ve found is the combination of meditation and manifesting is so much more powerful. It’s so much faster than either one alone. It’s like it’s supercharged. I just got off the phone with someone, and he said that he was a yoga teacher, but then he learned Ziva. And he said, “This is like jet fuel for my spiritual classes,” because even though a lot of us might think that we’re manifesting, we might even think that we’re praying, but what we’re accidentally doing is complaining, and we don’t even realize it. We’re asking questions like, “Why can’t I lose this weight? What’s wrong with my husband?” Like, “Why did she get a job and I didn’t?” And if you start to ask terrible questions, you’re gonna get terrible answers.

If you ask your body, “Why can’t I lose this weight,” your body will answer that question. If you ask, “Why does she have a boyfriend and I don’t,” again, your body will answer that question. So, instead, I teach people how to remember their dreams, how to use this very sacred time where the right and left hemispheres of the brain are functioning in unison to plant the seeds for everything that you want to create. So to ask questions like, “How much money would I love to make this year? What does my dream relationship with my body feel like? What does my dream schedule look like with my family? What does my dream relationship look like?” And then you start to move towards the positive instead of away from the negative.

Katie: I love that. I think that’s another thing that I’ve heard you say that I love so much is about the questions we ask ourselves because I think so many times we do that more in our head than we do… We wouldn’t ask those things of a friend, or we wouldn’t talk like that to other people, but we have that script running in our head, and then, you’re right, our brain answers the question. So, I think even that simple reframe is so amazing. And at the beginning, you talked a little bit about adaptation energy. I want to go a little bit deeper on that, if you don’t mind, and talk about how meditation helps replenish that, and what are the benefits of that?

Emily: So, I would define adaptation energy as your ability to handle a demand. It’s your ability to handle a change of expectations. So, as moms, we are dealing with, you know, changes of expectation and demands all day, every day. You thought you were gonna sleep until 7:00. Haha. Your kids woke up at 6:00. You thought you had eggs and then, uh oh, you realize that you didn’t have any. You know, you thought there was going to be no traffic driving your kids to school. It turns out it’s parking lot, and now they’re late for school. You know, you thought you were gonna be able to get all your work done by 2:00. Haha. Conference call went late, and now you’re late to pick up your kids. It’s just a constant stream of demands, a constant stream of changes of expectation. And these demands are burning up something that we call adaptation energy. And if you run out of adaptation energy and then you have another demand, then your body is going to launch into fight or flight whether you’ve read, “Eat, Pray, Love”, or not, whether you’ve read, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” or not because we don’t act in accordance with what we know.

We act in accordance with the baseline level of stress in our nervous systems. We all know how we should be acting. None of us are doing it because we’re stressed. You know, we know we shouldn’t drink a bottle of wine at night. We know we shouldn’t be binging on Netflix until 2:00 in the morning. We know we shouldn’t be scrolling through Instagram for an hour, but we do it anyway because we’re stressed. And so, if you start meditating every day, twice a day, not only are you getting rid of that stress, but you’re filling up your reservoirs with this adaptation energy. And so, does it take away the demands? No. What it does is that it increases your ability to elegantly handle the demands. So, instead of freaking out and having a full-blown fight or flight stress reaction on your kids by 6:00 at night because you’re exhausted, it’s like you just meditated. You have more patience. You have more creativity. You have some more gas in the tank to handle the flow of demands.

Katie: Got it. Yeah, that makes me think of several years ago, gosh, it’s probably been like five now, I hit a point where I thought I was gonna have a nervous breakdown because I was so stressed. And probably I had no adaptation energy left, but I had a business and family and just all the things on my plate, and I had this moment where I realized in business everything just… It’s automated. It flows. I have systems. It’s so easy. I get that part. But at home, I feel like I’m just treading water or juggling plates all the time. And I finally had this moment of clarity to realize that because in business I have systems, and objectives, and KPIs, and goals, and I run things according to a plan whereas, at home, I’m just trying to juggle everything in my head all of the time.

So, for me, part of it was figuring out how to put practical systems in place at home that reduce stress, so I didn’t have those open loops all the time, and I didn’t feel like I was constantly having to adapt. But I think you have the other piece of the puzzle, which is that you have to like give your brain the ability to have more adaptation energy with the two of those. I feel like that’s extremely effective for moms because we do have typically more on our plates than most people in society. And we’re juggling a lot, and we’re managing the, you know, emotional responsibility for our kids, and food, and house, and job a lot of times. So, I love that you talk about that. That’s so important.

Emily: Yes. And thank you for illustrating such a beautiful idea of how to get out of that survival mode. It’s like, yes, if you create a system to close those open loops, that’s another way to give yourself more adaptation energy. So, all those open cycles are burning up adaptation energy as well. So it’s two-fold. You want to increase your capacity, but whenever possible, we also want to remove the demand or delegate the demand or systematize the demand. So, it is. It’s hardware and software.

Katie: That makes sense. So, as we get near the end of our time, I always love to ask a couple of questions and the first being other than your own, which, of course, will be linked in the show notes, if there is a book or number of books that have dramatically impacted your life and if so what they are and why.

Emily: So, I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’m gonna go old school and go to a book that I read in high school. And it was Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead,” and I read it. I was in an AP literature class, and it’s basically… I mean, it can be… Some people call it like the capitalism manifesto. It can be taken out of context or taken too far because it’s very much celebrating the individual and the ego. The idea is that the ego is the thing that’s propelling society forward. But I read it at a time where I was… It was in a small town, and I was, you know, making straight A’s and I was the lead in the play. And, you know, I was succeeding in a lot of different areas in my life, and I think I was getting a little bit of tall poppy syndrome. And I started feeling like I would rather people like me then be my best because I started to see that I was excelling in these different areas.

At least my perception was that I was making other people uncomfortable or they didn’t like me. Now, I could’ve just been a meanie, and that’s why people didn’t like me. I don’t know. But I started diminishing myself, and playing small, and trying to make other people feel better by not being in my full power. And I read this book. I think I was a junior, and it really changed my life. It allowed me to step into my greatness, and it allowed me to see, well, like, me diminishing myself as not helping to lift anyone else up. And I quote from Marianne Williamson, which is, you know, “It’s our light that most frightens us, not our darkness. Who are we to play small? As you step into your greatness, you inspire other people to do the same.” That quote and book have really, really changed my life at a young age in high school.

Katie: I love that. That’s a new recommendation, and I’m actually gonna read it because I’ve had those thoughts as well. Like, there are times when I was worried that if I was like fully myself, I would be intimidating or, like, too much or, like, people wouldn’t like me because of that. And so, that actually really resonates with me. I’ll make sure those are linked in the show notes as well. Are there any other misconceptions about your area of expertise that you feel like people just don’t understand?

Emily: I mean, I’ve said it before, but I’m gonna say it again because I think it bears repeating because it’s so pervasive, and that is that people think they can’t meditate because they can’t clear their mind. That really is the biggest thing keeping so many people from practicing. I was on the subway the other day, and this guy was like, “What do you do?” And I said, “I’m a meditation teacher,” and I saw his face cringe. It’s like, “Oh, I can’t do that. It’s like I can’t clear my mind.” And this guy clearly had zero meditation training, and yet he was convinced, he was hell-bent on the fact that he couldn’t do it because he couldn’t clear his mind. So, I’m gonna be shouting this from the rooftops for a really long time. You don’t have to clear your mind in order to get the benefits of meditation.

Katie: I love it. And any parting advice to leave with the listeners today?

Emily: Well, I think this is a trick question for me because, for me, it’s find a teacher that you trust and you respect and invest the time to learn a meditation practice because it just makes everything else better. Life is sweeter. Food tastes better. Your body is stronger. Your sleep… I mean, it makes life so much more enjoyable. So, that’s my parting wisdom. Find a practice, invest the time, and just do it. It’s so worth it for you, for your kids, for your husband, for everyone around you. It’s worth it.

Katie: Awesome. And all of the links to find you and your book and your courses are in the show notes at wellnessmama.fm. So, you guys make sure to check that out, but anywhere else, people can find you and connect with you online?

Emily: Yeah, so the book and the online course and our live courses, that’s all at zivameditation.com. I know it’s a kind of a weird word, but it’s just Z-I-V-A, Ziva meditation, and then we’re all over social media just @Zivameditation.

Katie: Awesome. Emily, thank you so much for being here. This was super fun and enlightening, and I am definitely gonna be checking out all of your resources, and I know many others will as well. So, thank you for sharing.

Emily: Thank you for having me. Thank you for the body of work that you’ve created in helping so many people, especially parents because we need it.

Katie: Well, and thanks to all of you for listening and sharing one of your most valuable assets, your time, with both of us. We’re so grateful that you did, and I hope that you will join me again on the next episode of The Wellness Mama podcast.

If you’re enjoying these interviews, would you please take two minutes to leave a rating or review on iTunes for me? Doing this helps more people to find the podcast, which means even more moms and families could benefit from the information. I really appreciate your time, and thanks as always for listening.

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/podcast/ziva-meditation/

[rationalsanskar]

Mindfulness for Moms With Ziva Meditation | Wellness Mama Podcast

Child: Welcome to my Mommy’s podcast.

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Katie: Hello and welcome to the Wellness Mama Podcast. I’m Katie with wellnessmama.com and I’m here with Emily Fletcher, who is the founder of Ziva Meditation and world renown expert on meditation as a path to extraordinary performance. Her book, “Stress Less, Accomplish More” is a must read and one of the best books out there if you are looking to detox emotionally and mentally. She has taught more than 20,000 students around the world, including leaders at Apple, Google and Harvard Business school. And she’s also helped this very Type-A Mom to learn how to meditate as well. And I love how her approach is that we meditate not to get better at meditation, but to get better at life. And we talk about that and so much more today and I know that you will enjoy this episode as much as I did. Without further ado, let’s join Emily.

Emily, welcome. Thanks for being here.

Emily: What a joy to get to be here. Thank you for having me.

Katie: I am so excited to chat with you. I first met you or knew of you at an event a couple of years ago when you spoke, and one of the things that you said that really resonated with me was that we meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation. And that’s when I started paying attention to you actually because I had never been great at meditating and the idea of, like, clearing my mind was not something that was ever gonna happen to me. And so I think, like, when you said that, I started listening to what you were saying and realized you had this whole different approach. So, I wanted to start there. Why is that such an important distinction when we start talking about meditation?

Emily: Because so many people are exactly like you in that they’ve tried meditation. They felt like a failure because they couldn’t clear their mind. They assume that it’s just not for them, and then they potentially rob themselves of a lifetime of more productivity, more energy, more happiness because they’re judging themselves based on misinformation. So many people are trying to clear their mind because some yoga teacher somewhere said, “Just let your thoughts go.” And so, it’s we have a world full of ex-meditators when this doesn’t have to be the case because the point is not to clear the mind. The point really is to be happier, to have more energy, to have better sleep, to have a better immune system, and to be kinder with your kids. Like, that’s why we do this stuff. No one cares if you’re good at meditation.

Katie: Yeah, that’s I think such an important point. Most of us are not trying to reach, like, monk level of, you know, meditation in our daily lives. We want it to be practical, and that makes so much sense when you explain it. I feel like meditation has had such a time in the sun that most people probably are really familiar with it. But I also feel like there’s a lot of misconceptions. So, to get really basic for a second, walk us through what actually is the definition of meditation. What does that mean?

Emily: So, the simplest definition would be a stress-relieving tool, but that definition I think is too vague because if that’s your only criteria, then so is a bottle of wine, so is bingeing on Netflix, you know, so is smoking pot. And it’s funny. When I tell people I’m a meditation teacher, they’re like, “Oh, cool, exercise is my meditation,” or, “Cooking is my meditation.” I’m like, “Y’all cooking is called cooking, and exercise is called exercise, and meditation is called meditation. That’s why they have their own words.” So, I think a stress-relieving tool is not quite specific enough. Now, what we teach at Ziva, which is the name of my company, we teach a type of meditation that’s giving your body rest that’s five times deeper than sleep, and I’m gonna say that again because I think especially for moms, that’s a really exciting factor. This style of meditation is giving your body rest that is five times deeper than sleep.

So, it’s kind of like a supercharged power nap that you can do in 15 minutes without the sleep hangover, but on the other side, you’re even more awake. And the other really important point here is that in this style of meditation, you’re not only handling your stress from today, you’re also going in and healing all your stress from the past. And this is really important because most of what people are calling meditation, meaning most of the free apps out there, most of the guided things on YouTube, most of the drop-in studios, are actually teaching what I would call mindfulness. And mindfulness and meditation are oftentimes being used as synonyms, but they are not the same thing. And so, the big distinguishing factor between the two is that mindfulness is all about focusing, and it’s very good at dealing with your stress in the now. So, let’s say you have a crazy day with your kids. You go to work. You come home. Your kids are out of control. You’re really stressed. You do 10 minutes of headspace or calm or something. And it handles your stress in the now like a state change, like taking an aspirin if you have a headache.

Now, what I’m teaching at Ziva is not only handling your stress from the now, but it’s also getting rid of all your stress from the past. It’s going in and healing things cellularly, and now we even know it’s healing things on an epigenetic level, which is what we’ve inherited from our parents and what we pass onto our children. And this is big because it’s ultimately eradication of the backlog of stresses that we have in ourselves. If we do that, this is what gives us a return on the time investment. So, for 15 minutes invested in your meditation because you’re getting rid of the stress that you’ve been storing in your body, that stuff that’s making us all stupid, sick, and slow, and you start to have more time in your day because your brain gets faster. Your immune system is stronger. Your creativity is more tuned in. Your intuition is stronger.

And so, this is why I find especially with Ziva that the ROI is just higher. And this is, I think maybe it takes me to the other misconception around meditation is that it’s not… The first is people think they can’t clear their mind, which we can talk about more, but the other is that people think that they’re too busy, and we’re all too busy to waste our time. None of us have time to waste. And if you’re just doing 10 minutes and then getting yourself out of triage, but ultimately not healing the root cause, then I would say that’s not a really great investment of your time. But if you’re going in and not only feeling better in the now but actually handling the very root cause, the cause of the anxiety, the cause of the insomnia, the cause of the overwhelm, then this becomes a very productive and valuable investment of your time.

Katie: That makes sense. And honestly, if I think back even a couple of years ago, I think I would have still been a lot more skeptical of just how dramatically something like that can impact your biology until I had an experience myself actually because I had trauma in high school. And I thought I had dealt with it and I had done all the talk therapy. And I thought I was totally fine. And then I had a type of bodywork combined with just being in a situation that got me out of my comfort zone. And, like, I had this entirely different type of emotional release happen to the point that literally, like, my body shook for an hour. It was like when you see an animal almost get killed, and then they’re fine, and all that adrenaline has to come out.

It was like a decade of adrenaline, just, like, shaking out of my body. And that alone, my body has changed so much in the past few months with my diet, lifestyle, everything staying exactly the same. So, I’m definitely now much more of a believer of just how drastically our mental state and our emotions can really, really impact our physiology, like dramatically impact us. I’m a nerd, though, so I’d love to go a little deeper, and can you explain, like, biochemically and physiologically what’s happening in the body when we meditate? Like what are some of the pathways that we’re activating? Are we going into parasympathetic or what are some of the ways it’s affecting us?

Emily: Yes. Thank you for asking that. And also, thank you for illustrating so beautifully the difference between what I would call a software upgrade and a hardware upgrade. So, you know, not all of us, but a lot of us have done the talk therapy for years, and I would call that a software upgrade. You know, it’s you changing your operating system. It’s changing the lens through which you see the world. But this meditation work and that somatic work or energy work and bodywork, it is oftentimes healing things on a cellular level. It’s changing your nervous system, so it’s giving you a hardware upgrade. It’s like upgrading your computer, and then, ultimately, you can run more elegant software if you have a more advanced computer. And so, at the end of the day, we’re gonna have to do both. We’re going to have to uplevel the hard drive and the software. So, thank you for illustrating that so beautifully.

Okay, so let’s dive down the nerdy science rabbit hole. So, when the body launches into fight or flight, then we go into sympathetic, which is the body is basically preparing for a predatory attack. This comes out of, you know, millions of years of evolution of protecting us from tigers, and lions, and bears. So, let’s say you’re in the woods, and a tiger jumps out at you with the intent to kill. Your body will launch into a series of chemical reactions. The first thing that happens is your digestion will flood with acid because we need to shut down digestion because we can’t waste any of that digestive energy.

We need all that energy to fight or flee the tiger. That same acid will seep onto your skin so that you don’t taste too good if you get bitten into by the tiger. Your bladder and bowels evacuate so you can be light on your feet. Blood thickens and coagulates so that if you get bitten into, you don’t bleed to death. Your vision will narrow. Your immune system goes to the back burner because who cares if you’re going to get cancer if you’re about to be killed by a tiger? Like, again, we need all hands on deck.

So, this series of chemical reactions is very useful if your demands are predatory attacks, but if your daily demands are kids, and in-laws, and deadlines, and school projects, and emails, and traffic, the fight or flight thing has become maladaptive. It’s disallowing us from performing at the top of our game. This backlog of accumulated stresses is making us stupid, sick, and slow as a species. And so, when we start meditating, what happens is we go in, and within 30 to 45 seconds, we de-excite the nervous system, which means that metabolic rate decreases, which doesn’t mean you’re going to gain weight. This is the rate with which the body consumes oxygen.

So, your breathing slows, your heart rate slows, your body temperature cools. And then within less than a minute, your brain is producing dopamine and serotonin, which are alkaline in nature. And they are basically nature’s antidote to cortisol and adrenaline, which are stress hormones and those are acidic by nature. And if you’ve ever studied Ayurvedic medicine, acid equals inflammation. And inflammation we know is the basis of all chronic disease. And so, if we are chronically inflamed, if we’re chronically stressed, then the body is just a little bit too acidic or a little bit too hot.

And so, when we start meditating, not only do we clear out the adrenaline and cortisol, we start flooding the body with dopamine and serotonin, which are alkaline in nature. And this is why, according to Tufts and… I forget the name of the other university, but there’s two universities who have done studies on how meditation can reverse your body age. Tufts says eight years. And I think it’s Wake Forest, actually, says somewhere up to 15 that you can reverse your body age by somewhere between 8 to 15 years with meditation. And there was another study that came out, so just saying that you can reverse your brain age, that the average meditator at 50 has the brain of a 25-year-old.

And this is based on neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and also the strengthening of something called the corpus callosum, which is the thin white strip that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain. So, I mean, this all sounds too good to be true, and people are like, “What do you mean? Meditation can do this, this, this, and this?” But really the question we should be asking is, you know, “How is stress messing so many things up?” Because according to Harvard Medical School, stress is responsible for 90% of all doctor’s visits, and scientists are calling it the black plague of our century. And the cool thing here is that stress is not an incurable illness. We have a cure to it. It’s called meditation. We all just think we’re too busy to meditate.

Katie: Yeah, I think you’re so right about that. And, I mean, you explain it so well, all the neuroscience about meditation and how many benefits that has. And like I said, it’s had its time in the sun. There’s enough really successful people saying it’s a huge part of the reason they’re so successful that I think people are paying attention. But why do you think that so many of us still… Like, I even still am guilty of saying, like, “I can’t… I’m not good at meditating, and I can’t quiet my mind.” Like, why are people still saying that when obviously it’s so important?

Emily: I think people are saying that, “I don’t have time, and I can’t clear my mind,” because of the misconception between mindfulness and meditation. So, you know, like I was saying a moment ago, most of the free “meditation apps” are actually teaching what I would call mindfulness. Anytime someone is guiding you through, like a guided YouTube video or if you go to a drop-in studio and someone is telling you to imagine a waterfall or count your breaths or focus on your chakras, anytime you’re directing your focus, I’m putting that in the category of mindfulness. And mindfulness, like I said, is very good at dealing with your stress in the now, but because it’s not ultimately getting rid of the root cause, because it’s not healing the backlog of stresses from your past, then it’s creating a state change versus meditation is creating a trait change. It’s actually altering yourselves. It’s altering your genes and going after the root cause.

So, what I have found is that with meditation, and specifically with Ziva, the return on time investment is exponential. It’s basically… We’ve done the math. Fifteen minutes twice a day is 2% of your day. So, the question is, are you willing to invest 2% of your day to make the other 98% more effective, more productive, more happy, more present? Versus with mindfulness, while you might feel better in the now, for a lot of people, they report that it’s not giving them that same ROI. They don’t feel more productive later. It’s more of a triage like, “I feel like I’m having an anxiety attack, so let me do this app right now,” or, “I already have insomnia, so let me listen to this guided meditation thing to help me fall asleep.” But we’re ultimately not treating what caused the insomnia to begin with.

And so, I think that this is the timepiece. It’s like whatever time investment you’re making, you need to be getting more time back in your day. I had the good fortune of teaching Dr. Mark Hyman to meditate, who’s the founder of the Functional Medicine Center at the Cleveland Clinic, and I’d say, like, one of the world’s, like, leading doctors and certainly in functional medicine. And he says for the two meditations that he does a day, he gets back about three hours in his day. He’s like, “I have three more hours of productivity, three more hours of fun, three more hours of energy to go out dancing or to be with my wife or my friends.” And that to me is the special sauce because, again, none of us have time to waste.

Now, the clearing of the mind piece. I think people are confusing the results for the technique because if you sit down and meditate, chances are afterwards you are gonna feel more clear. You are gonna be more present. You are gonna be more intuitive. You won’t be so mired with, you know, stress and anxiety. However, just because clarity of mind is a result of meditation, that does not mean that it is the practice of meditation. So, if you sit down and close your eyes and try to clear the mind, you’re always gonna feel like you’re failing because the mind thinks involuntarily, just like the heart beats involuntarily. So, trying to give your brain a command to shut up is as impactful as trying to give your heart a command to stop beating. It does not work. And yet this is what everybody is trying to do, and this is why everybody thinks it’s hard because we’re judging ourselves based on an impossible criteria.

And this is because a lot of the mindfulness practices that people are adopting are derivations of things that were originally made for monks. Like even if you think about Headspace, Andy was a monk. You know, the biggest personal brand on Facebook, Jay Shetty, was a monk. And so, mindfulness… We almost fetishize monks a little bit in the West, and we think, “Well, whatever monks are doing must be more powerful. They must be vibrating or levitating.” But it’s the other way around. If you have a job, and kids, and stuff to do, then you have less time in your day with which to meditate. So, you actually need a practice that is more powerful. You need a practice that you can go in, do, and then come out with more energy on the other side. And so, the meditation portion of the Ziva technique is based on something that’s 6,000 years old, but it was made for people like us. It was made for people with busy minds and busy lives. So, it’s just you go in, you get out. It’s not about meditating all day, which is what monks are doing. That is their contribution to society. They can afford to do something that’s a little bit gentler.

Katie: That makes perfect sense. And I know Dr. Hyman as well, and that’s really drastic. I had not heard him say that. That’s amazing that he feels like he gets that big of a return for meditating. And it reminds me a little bit of that quote. I believe maybe it was Saint Francis or somebody who said it, like, “Pray for half an hour a day unless you’re too busy and then pray for an hour a day.” Like, the people who are the most busy are the ones that most need this. On the nerdy note for a second again, I’m curious. Are there any studies or any data that you’ve seen between a regular meditation practice like this and changes in heart rate variability? Because I’ve been tracking that just as a pet project lately, and I’m curious if there’s anything that shows data on that.

Emily: Yes. And so, people will put the heart rate variability training… They’ll even call that meditation, which I think that that is really valuable and a great thing to do, but it’s much more active. And whereas Ziva is kind of, like, the lazy man’s meditation, it’s more like taking a nap sitting up. But ultimately, what we’re doing with Ziva is that we’re getting rid of the stress in the body. And so, when you’re not meditating, you’re not as stressed, you’re just at a normal homeostasis. And the whole gig with heart rate variability, the reason why we want ourselves to be more variable, is so that if a tiger comes, you’re ready to launch into fight or flight. If it’s time to go to sleep, you can down-regulate. You can go to sleep really quickly.

It’s like we want to be variable. We want to be adaptive to whatever the circumstances of life are calling upon, and that’s the whole point of meditation. You’re increasing your ability to adapt versus someone who is chronically stressed, who has chronic amounts of cortisol and adrenaline, and their heart rate is very, very high all the time, that person can’t down-regulate when it’s appropriate. That person sometimes can’t up-regulate when it’s appropriate because at some point their adrenals get shot and their adrenaline… Like, it’s almost, like, it expires because you’re always on guard even when it’s not appropriate. So, let’s say you got into a car accident. And if your adrenals are already shot, your body is not able to produce the appropriate amount of adrenaline when it needs it. So, we want to be variable. You know, we want to be able to up-regulate, down-regulate, and the less stress you have in your body, the easier it is for you to do that.

Katie: That makes sense. And as you are saying this, I’m also thinking, as a mom, my life would be tremendously easier if my kids also had the ability to do this. I know that you have a child, as well. I’m curious, is this something that can be integrated as a formula or that we can encourage our children to do that also will have benefits for them? Because I’ve heard so many adults who we learned this as adults after we were already stressed and burned out and everything else. Can we teach this to our kids from early ages and give them a foundation so hopefully they never have to do that?

Emily: Yes. And this is something I feel really passionate about, especially as a new mom myself. My son is only 15 months old, but even with him at night… You know, he’s still nursing, and so at night right when we turn the lights out, I mean, you know, cozy up. And assume… Our ritual now is that as soon as he starts nursing, I started taking some really deep breaths and I do it in an audible way. And then he mimics me, you know, so I’ll go (breathe in, breathe out) and then it’s almost like a game. And then he does his breath and then I do my breath and he does his breath. And he’s smiling while he’s doing it because I think it feels good for him, but it’s also a fun little game that we’re playing. And he can’t even talk yet. And so, I think the earlier we can introduce these tools, the better. And children are always learning by your example, not what you say. They’re gonna do what we do. They’re not gonna do what we say. And so, if you’re running around overwhelmed, stressed, not sleeping, living your life as a martyr, you know, always in overwhelm, always feeling behind schedule, they’re gonna see that and mirror that and it’s ultimately gonna stress them out.

I have people come to me all the time asking for a kid’s meditation training, and the first question I ask is, “Are you meditating?” And they’re like, “No, I don’t have time, but I want my kids to do it.” And it’s like, “Honey, guess what? Your stress is influencing your kid’s stress.” And so, the really exciting news here is that our big project for 2020 is where we’re launching Ziva Kids. And I’m so excited about we’re about to go into development for it. And it’s ultimately gonna be about 80% teaching the parents, and then 20% is gonna be modules for the kids based on how old they are and what they’re dealing with, which I’m thrilled about. But don’t wait for that. Don’t wait for me. I think that you can start introducing these tools and techniques to your kids soon.

But I really think that step one is you have to develop your own practice because you have to understand what it’s like yourself to be able to help guide your kids through it. Because any meditation practice worth its salt is usually gonna create some form of a detoxification. And this is something that no one is talking about, no one is warning anyone, about because we think, “Oh, when I start meditating, I should just be vibrating on a cloud of bliss, and I’ll never be sad again.” So that’s not how it works. You’re still a human. You still have feelings. And in the beginning, because most of us have all that stuff stored in our body, there’s a period of, like, physical and emotional release. And so, people can be very sad, and very anxious, and very angry, and very tired for the first few days and sometimes even weeks. And so, again, I think it’s important that the parent experiences that and knows how to get through it before helping their kids through it.

Now, obviously, kids, hopefully, don’t have as much stored stress as we do, but there still can be some even for kids because they’re so tapped into the collective. So, the answer is yes, and I can say mindfulness is a great thing to start kids on. And you could do breathwork. You could do even a few gentle yoga poses. You could have them imagine, you know, their favorite place. It’s any tools you can have to start bringing their attention inward to teach them that healing can happen on the inside, that when they’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or angry, that they can actually go inside and start to change their state internally, I think these are really valuable tools to share with our kids early on.

And I do… A lot of my training when I teach adults is that I tell them how to talk to their kids about it because a lot of people will use the excuse, “Well, I can’t meditate because I have kids.” And, you know, I just launched a book and a baby in the same year, and so it is possible and I was nursing every three hours the whole time. So, it’s intense, but it is possible. You just have to be strategic, and you have to make it a non-negotiable priority, and you can’t let perfect be the enemy of good. But I think that… My joke that I say to parents is, “Tell your kids that you’re training to be a Jedi.” They’re like, “Mommy is training to be a Jedi right now, so don’t interrupt me,” or, “If there’s bones or blood, then please interrupt mommy’s meditation. And if there’s no bones or no blood, then it can wait for 15 minutes.”

Katie: I love that. And yeah, I love that, “Mommy is training to be a Jedi.” That’s a great one. Especially, my kids are huge “Star Wars” fans, but I think you nailed it with the best way to teach kids anything because I say that about whether it’s nutrition or lifestyle stuff as well, good luck teaching them unless you’re doing it too. And the inverse of that is if you’re doing it, you really don’t have to do as much to teach them because they’re gonna naturally follow you. And I actually saw this happen in a different realm recently. Like for years, I had always thought like, “Oh, maybe one of my kids will want to take voice lessons, and then I’ll kind of, like, learn while they’re there,” because I had always wanted to take voice lessons. And then finally, I was like, “Wait, why don’t I just do it and not wait for my kids to be interested?” And I did, and now they’re all interested in voice lessons. And so…

Emily: Good for you. That’s awesome.

Katie: It’s terrifying because I had, like, never sang in public, but it’s also amazing. I’m like, “Good, they’re seeing me get out of my comfort zone. They’re seeing me be bad at something first and get better.” Like, those are such important lessons in life, but I think you are so right. Our kids pay so much attention to what we do, and that’s the easiest way to pass on anything. And I could see meditation becoming, like, a really good part of a morning routine as a family, maybe before school or as a bedtime routine. I think it could be a cool just like touchpoint with the family if you’re doing it with them versus just trying to get them to do it. But I want to circle back because you said something I have not heard before when it comes to meditation, and that was about the detox effect. So, explain that a little bit more because I definitely did not know that was a thing.

Emily: So, it’s not dissimilar to how when you had that energetic work of a somatic experience, and then your body started shaking. Like, that’s a very acute dramatic example of it where you did something, it created a level of cellular healing, and then there was a catharsis. There was a release of that trauma that had been in your body for a long time. And so, what’s happening with Ziva is that we’re going in and we’re giving our body this rest that’s five times deeper than sleep. And when you give your body the rest that it needs, it knows how to heal itself. And the cool thing here is it’s not only healing stress from today, but it’s also healing all that stress from our past. And so, even if you’ve done the talk therapy, even if you’ve read the self-help books, that stuff has been stored in your cellular memory, and when you start a meditation practice, it has to come up and out. It has to go somewhere.

And so, oftentimes as the stress is leaving, it can have a bit of the same flavor on the way out as it did on the way in. So, if you have some sadness inside, you might have a little sad-flavored stress coming up and out. If you haven’t slept in 10 years, well, guess what? You might be a little sleepy in the beginning, and this happens a lot with like young women. You know, anger is not really a part of our archetype, and so in the beginning of the first few weeks, sometimes they get very, very angry. And that’s honestly a big part of my job. And I think it’s why it’s important that you do have a meditation teacher because that’s when my job is a job in that I’ve been through it myself and I’ve helped over 20,000 people through it.

So, I see some patterns, you know, and it doesn’t scare me, versus if you just start meditating and you think it’s all sunshine and roses and you should never have a feeling again, and then suddenly you’re being confronted by the entirety of your life’s trauma with no guidance, no warning, and no support through that, that’s another reason why a lot of people quit. Now, they just tell themselves they’re too busy, but in reality, they don’t want to feel that because we’ve got billions of dollars of industry. Those don’t help in ensuring that we never have to feel our feelings. And now the meditation goes in and wrings you out. It makes the feeling non-negotiable. And so, I think it’s really important you have a community, that you have the intellectual framework and understanding of what’s happening, and you have the proper support through that so that you can get through to the other side and reap the rewards.

Katie: That makes sense. And it’s good to know, you know, if you’re starting this, and you’re new to make sure that you’re supporting your body through that and you have a practice of, you know, being prepared for that detox and making sure you’re getting enough rest and that you’re being supported through that. You’ve mentioned… Well, before we move to your book, I was gonna say there is a link to the Ziva technique in the show notes at wellnessmama.fm. So, if any of you guys are running or driving, don’t worry about writing it down, but do check out the show notes so you can learn more about it. But you also mentioned your book a couple of times. I would love to hear what was the impetus for the book and walk us through what the book does.

Emily: Sure. This book is called “Stress Less, Accomplish More,” and the subtitle is “Meditation for Extraordinary Performance,” which goes back to the first concept we talked about, which is that we meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation. And really the promise is in the title. What I’m promising you is that if you do this, you’re gonna stress less, and you’ll be able to accomplish more because stress is wasting our time and energy. And in the book, what I do is that there’s… It’s really broken into three parts. The first third is what I call the selfish reasons that we come to meditation. So, there’s a whole chapter on the science behind why it can help you have better sex. There’s a whole chapter on why it can reverse your body age. There’s a chapter on why it can improve your immune function. There’s a chapter on why it can increase your performance and productivity.

And then there’s also… I don’t know how many folks in here are dealing with fertility stuff, but we have crazy case studies around fertility. Like, that just was a bit of a surprise benefit for me. And then also jet lag. So, the first seven chapters are the selfish reasons that people come to meditation. And then, in part two, I teach a gentle version of the Ziva technique. It’s a bit gentler for the reason that I just said in that, you know, we’ve had over 42,000 people buy the book so far. And there’s only one of me, and I do think it’s important that you have the proper guidance. And so, anyone who buys the book can join our Facebook group. It’s called the Ziva Tribe. So, there is some level of support. I’m in there. My other teachers are in there. The guides are in there. But it’s still not super-specialized in a super-personalized guidance, so I made the book technique a little bit gentler than what people can learn online or in person. So, that’s part two of the book.

And then the third part of the book is we pull the lens way out, and we start to look at the ripple effect. It’s like, “Okay, well, how does you selfishly improving yourself, how does this impact your kids? How does this impact your relationship? How does it impact your coworkers, your town, your community, and then ultimately humanity itself?” Because at the end of the day, as we heal ourselves, we help to heal the collective. If we have 8 billion stressed out people, what do we think this world is going to look and feel like? If we have 8 billion people meditating every day, you know, what kind of ingenuity, what type of creativity, what type of generosity do you think we’re dealing with collectively at that point?

Katie: I love that. Definitely, I’ll make sure there’s a link to that as well in the show notes. You guys can check it out. I’m really curious. I will definitely check out the book to find out the full reason, but how can meditation help with sex? Because I hear from a lot of moms, especially new moms, who struggle with that, with changes in their sex life or libido after having kids. So, what are some of the ways it works there?

Emily: Yes. So, I think that, you know, postpartum and post-labor is its own thing. So, this is not like I never want to add to anyone’s pressure to feel like the sexiest woman alive and to have sex every day. It’s certainly not through postpartum, which is, decidedly, at least for my experience, was not that sexy. My postpartum was pretty intense. However, I think that the big reasons why people aren’t having as much sex as they would like are, one, that they’re too tired. And I think it’s 40% of cohabitating adults in America say that the number one reason they don’t have as much sex as they would like to is they’re too tired. And so, if you think about it very simply, if Ziva is giving your body rest that’s five times deeper than sleep, then for a 15-minute meditation it’s equivalent to an hour-long nap. Now, imagine if you can take an hour-long nap at 5:00, you might be a little nicer to your kids at dinner and bath time, and you may even have a little gas left in the tank after bedtime to go and have sex with your partner versus just being exhausted and spent.

Now, the other thing is that stress, if we go back to that tiger attack, and if we look at all of the things that happen in the body when we’re in that fight or flight state, if your body thinks it’s preparing for a tiger attack, the last thing it’s interested in is procreation. All it’s interested in is saving this meat suit. You know, it wants to protect this body. The last thing it’s worried about is making a new body that thinks it’s under attack. So, we have to get out of that fight or flight and get into what I call stay and play. And then once we’re there, once we’re in that parasympathetic, then all of the endocrine functions, the hormonal functions, all of that stuff starts to even out. And then that’s to say nothing of healing the sexual trauma that a lot of people have. You know, I think it’s something crazy like three in five women go through some form of sexual abuse or sexual trauma, and that plays into our relationships. And so, if the meditation can go in and start to heal that as well, I think that it allows you to be more present with your partner versus bringing a lifetime of baggage into your relationship.

Katie: That makes sense. And you’ve used the phrase several times about meditation being five times deeper than sleep. I’d love if we could elaborate on that a little bit more because I think most people kind of use sleep as the gold standard. And so, I’m curious, like what is it doing in the brain differently than sleep? And what are the changes people see in their sleep over time if they make this type of meditation a daily habit?

Emily: Great question. So, to be honest, that statement of that it’s five times deeper than sleep is not 100% accurate because it’s a different type of rest. I just haven’t figured out an easy way to say this in a nutshell, but I’m glad you asked to elaborate on it. So, when we go to sleep at night… And, of course, sleep is considered the gold standard if that is the most restful form of rest that you have, but it’s like, “Well, what if there was this other type of rest?” And so, in sleep, our brain is chilling, but the body actually has to be on guard. And this goes back to the same saber-tooth tiger. It goes back to the same protecting us from predators. So, let’s say it’s 10,000 years ago. You’re in your cave. It’s bedtime. If you ever watched someone as they’re falling asleep or if you watch your kids as they’re falling asleep, in the beginning, breathing is normal. But when the brain clicks into sleep, your breathing changes, and suddenly it’s (snoring). You start revving quite high, breathing quite deeply because you need your heart and lungs and blood to be oxygenated so that if that tiger comes in, by the time you wake up mentally, your body is oxygenated and prepared to launch into fight or flight.

Now, the exact opposite is happening in Ziva. In Ziva, your body is getting this deep rest, meaning that metabolic rate decreases, so this means your breathing is going to slow precipitously. Your heart rate slows. Your body temperature cools. Now here’s the trick. Nature will not let you rest that deeply physically and be in blackout sleep mentally at the same time because, at that point, you’re in evolutionary liability. If that tiger comes in and by the time you wake up out of blackout sleep and then your breathing speeds up, in order to launch into fight or flight, you would be tiger sacks. So, one or the other has to be on guard. When we’re sleeping, the brain is chilling, the body is on guard. When we’re meditating, the body is chilling, the brain is on guard. So, it’s almost the opposite of everything you’ve heard about meditation. People think you should be like in a deaf, dumb, and blind chamber of nothingness, but you’re actually very mentally alert during meditation. And it is that mental alertness that allows your body to get such deep healing rest, and it’s that deep healing rest that makes you more awake in your waking state, which is what’s making you better at life to bring it back full circle.

Katie: That makes complete sense that your body would not want to be in both of those states at the same time.

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Katie: For people who are curious, and I am too, what is the like practical way that the program works? Is it like an online course that you follow because it’s something people can learn over time and then integrate without needing to follow something or what does it look like?

Emily: Yes, that’s exactly it. So, what I love about Ziva and the book and ZivaONLINE, basically, all of my trainings are designed to make you self-sufficient. It is designed to give you the keys to the car and the driving instructions so that you can do this stuff on your own for life, meaning that, you know, let’s say it is 11:00 at night or 10:00 at night and you’re in the room with your kids. You don’t need to like go get an iPad and make sure it’s charged and have it on dim mode, so the lights aren’t coming in their eyes and have the perfect speakers or headphones or… You know, there’s no electronics required once you graduate, which… And this is a little bit of a secret. It’s like all those meditation apps out there, the “free” meditation apps, they’re designed to keep you tethered to your phone. If they’re free to use… And that means they’re getting their money off of advertising dollars, which means that they are monetized by how long your eyeballs are on your phone.

And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my eyeballs on my phone for my meditation practice. And so, the idea here is that once you move through the online course, you have the tools to take with you for life. And I don’t know that I said this yet, but the Ziva technique is a trifecta of mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting. So, the three Ms, that’s what we teach. So, with the online course, it’s about 15 minutes a day for 15 days. So, it’s like, ideally, you just wake up before the kids get up and watch it first thing in the morning before coffee, and it builds upon itself. So, the first 3 days are mindfulness, and then days 4 through 12, you learn the meditation. And that’s really where the magic happens. That’s where this deep rest comes. That’s where you’re actually given something called a mantra, which is not a slogan, it’s not a saying, but it’s a very powerful mind vehicle. That’s what mantra means. It’s a song script word. Man means mind, and tra means vehicle. And that’s kind of, like, the key to the Ziva car.

So, you get that, and you use that days 4 through 12, and then once you become an expert in that, we move on to the manifesting. And that sounds a little witchy or a little hippy-dippy, but it’s not. It’s you getting clear on what it is that you want in your life. And I find that for so many of us, we’ve been in survival mode for so long that it’s easy to forget our dreams, especially as moms. It’s so easy to start taking care of everyone else and forget what you want. And so, I love this manifesting piece because you do it just for two minutes at the end of your meditation, and it’s time to start to ask a question such as, “What would I love right now? What would I love right now,” not, “What should I do,” no, “What do my kids need,” not, “What’s going to make me the most money,” not, “What would look good on Instagram,” but, “What would I love right now?”

And what I’ve found is the combination of meditation and manifesting is so much more powerful. It’s so much faster than either one alone. It’s like it’s supercharged. I just got off the phone with someone, and he said that he was a yoga teacher, but then he learned Ziva. And he said, “This is like jet fuel for my spiritual classes,” because even though a lot of us might think that we’re manifesting, we might even think that we’re praying, but what we’re accidentally doing is complaining, and we don’t even realize it. We’re asking questions like, “Why can’t I lose this weight? What’s wrong with my husband?” Like, “Why did she get a job and I didn’t?” And if you start to ask terrible questions, you’re gonna get terrible answers.

If you ask your body, “Why can’t I lose this weight,” your body will answer that question. If you ask, “Why does she have a boyfriend and I don’t,” again, your body will answer that question. So, instead, I teach people how to remember their dreams, how to use this very sacred time where the right and left hemispheres of the brain are functioning in unison to plant the seeds for everything that you want to create. So to ask questions like, “How much money would I love to make this year? What does my dream relationship with my body feel like? What does my dream schedule look like with my family? What does my dream relationship look like?” And then you start to move towards the positive instead of away from the negative.

Katie: I love that. I think that’s another thing that I’ve heard you say that I love so much is about the questions we ask ourselves because I think so many times we do that more in our head than we do… We wouldn’t ask those things of a friend, or we wouldn’t talk like that to other people, but we have that script running in our head, and then, you’re right, our brain answers the question. So, I think even that simple reframe is so amazing. And at the beginning, you talked a little bit about adaptation energy. I want to go a little bit deeper on that, if you don’t mind, and talk about how meditation helps replenish that, and what are the benefits of that?

Emily: So, I would define adaptation energy as your ability to handle a demand. It’s your ability to handle a change of expectations. So, as moms, we are dealing with, you know, changes of expectation and demands all day, every day. You thought you were gonna sleep until 7:00. Haha. Your kids woke up at 6:00. You thought you had eggs and then, uh oh, you realize that you didn’t have any. You know, you thought there was going to be no traffic driving your kids to school. It turns out it’s parking lot, and now they’re late for school. You know, you thought you were gonna be able to get all your work done by 2:00. Haha. Conference call went late, and now you’re late to pick up your kids. It’s just a constant stream of demands, a constant stream of changes of expectation. And these demands are burning up something that we call adaptation energy. And if you run out of adaptation energy and then you have another demand, then your body is going to launch into fight or flight whether you’ve read, “Eat, Pray, Love”, or not, whether you’ve read, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” or not because we don’t act in accordance with what we know.

We act in accordance with the baseline level of stress in our nervous systems. We all know how we should be acting. None of us are doing it because we’re stressed. You know, we know we shouldn’t drink a bottle of wine at night. We know we shouldn’t be binging on Netflix until 2:00 in the morning. We know we shouldn’t be scrolling through Instagram for an hour, but we do it anyway because we’re stressed. And so, if you start meditating every day, twice a day, not only are you getting rid of that stress, but you’re filling up your reservoirs with this adaptation energy. And so, does it take away the demands? No. What it does is that it increases your ability to elegantly handle the demands. So, instead of freaking out and having a full-blown fight or flight stress reaction on your kids by 6:00 at night because you’re exhausted, it’s like you just meditated. You have more patience. You have more creativity. You have some more gas in the tank to handle the flow of demands.

Katie: Got it. Yeah, that makes me think of several years ago, gosh, it’s probably been like five now, I hit a point where I thought I was gonna have a nervous breakdown because I was so stressed. And probably I had no adaptation energy left, but I had a business and family and just all the things on my plate, and I had this moment where I realized in business everything just… It’s automated. It flows. I have systems. It’s so easy. I get that part. But at home, I feel like I’m just treading water or juggling plates all the time. And I finally had this moment of clarity to realize that because in business I have systems, and objectives, and KPIs, and goals, and I run things according to a plan whereas, at home, I’m just trying to juggle everything in my head all of the time.

So, for me, part of it was figuring out how to put practical systems in place at home that reduce stress, so I didn’t have those open loops all the time, and I didn’t feel like I was constantly having to adapt. But I think you have the other piece of the puzzle, which is that you have to like give your brain the ability to have more adaptation energy with the two of those. I feel like that’s extremely effective for moms because we do have typically more on our plates than most people in society. And we’re juggling a lot, and we’re managing the, you know, emotional responsibility for our kids, and food, and house, and job a lot of times. So, I love that you talk about that. That’s so important.

Emily: Yes. And thank you for illustrating such a beautiful idea of how to get out of that survival mode. It’s like, yes, if you create a system to close those open loops, that’s another way to give yourself more adaptation energy. So, all those open cycles are burning up adaptation energy as well. So it’s two-fold. You want to increase your capacity, but whenever possible, we also want to remove the demand or delegate the demand or systematize the demand. So, it is. It’s hardware and software.

Katie: That makes sense. So, as we get near the end of our time, I always love to ask a couple of questions and the first being other than your own, which, of course, will be linked in the show notes, if there is a book or number of books that have dramatically impacted your life and if so what they are and why.

Emily: So, I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’m gonna go old school and go to a book that I read in high school. And it was Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead,” and I read it. I was in an AP literature class, and it’s basically… I mean, it can be… Some people call it like the capitalism manifesto. It can be taken out of context or taken too far because it’s very much celebrating the individual and the ego. The idea is that the ego is the thing that’s propelling society forward. But I read it at a time where I was… It was in a small town, and I was, you know, making straight A’s and I was the lead in the play. And, you know, I was succeeding in a lot of different areas in my life, and I think I was getting a little bit of tall poppy syndrome. And I started feeling like I would rather people like me then be my best because I started to see that I was excelling in these different areas.

At least my perception was that I was making other people uncomfortable or they didn’t like me. Now, I could’ve just been a meanie, and that’s why people didn’t like me. I don’t know. But I started diminishing myself, and playing small, and trying to make other people feel better by not being in my full power. And I read this book. I think I was a junior, and it really changed my life. It allowed me to step into my greatness, and it allowed me to see, well, like, me diminishing myself as not helping to lift anyone else up. And I quote from Marianne Williamson, which is, you know, “It’s our light that most frightens us, not our darkness. Who are we to play small? As you step into your greatness, you inspire other people to do the same.” That quote and book have really, really changed my life at a young age in high school.

Katie: I love that. That’s a new recommendation, and I’m actually gonna read it because I’ve had those thoughts as well. Like, there are times when I was worried that if I was like fully myself, I would be intimidating or, like, too much or, like, people wouldn’t like me because of that. And so, that actually really resonates with me. I’ll make sure those are linked in the show notes as well. Are there any other misconceptions about your area of expertise that you feel like people just don’t understand?

Emily: I mean, I’ve said it before, but I’m gonna say it again because I think it bears repeating because it’s so pervasive, and that is that people think they can’t meditate because they can’t clear their mind. That really is the biggest thing keeping so many people from practicing. I was on the subway the other day, and this guy was like, “What do you do?” And I said, “I’m a meditation teacher,” and I saw his face cringe. It’s like, “Oh, I can’t do that. It’s like I can’t clear my mind.” And this guy clearly had zero meditation training, and yet he was convinced, he was hell-bent on the fact that he couldn’t do it because he couldn’t clear his mind. So, I’m gonna be shouting this from the rooftops for a really long time. You don’t have to clear your mind in order to get the benefits of meditation.

Katie: I love it. And any parting advice to leave with the listeners today?

Emily: Well, I think this is a trick question for me because, for me, it’s find a teacher that you trust and you respect and invest the time to learn a meditation practice because it just makes everything else better. Life is sweeter. Food tastes better. Your body is stronger. Your sleep… I mean, it makes life so much more enjoyable. So, that’s my parting wisdom. Find a practice, invest the time, and just do it. It’s so worth it for you, for your kids, for your husband, for everyone around you. It’s worth it.

Katie: Awesome. And all of the links to find you and your book and your courses are in the show notes at wellnessmama.fm. So, you guys make sure to check that out, but anywhere else, people can find you and connect with you online?

Emily: Yeah, so the book and the online course and our live courses, that’s all at zivameditation.com. I know it’s a kind of a weird word, but it’s just Z-I-V-A, Ziva meditation, and then we’re all over social media just @Zivameditation.

Katie: Awesome. Emily, thank you so much for being here. This was super fun and enlightening, and I am definitely gonna be checking out all of your resources, and I know many others will as well. So, thank you for sharing.

Emily: Thank you for having me. Thank you for the body of work that you’ve created in helping so many people, especially parents because we need it.

Katie: Well, and thanks to all of you for listening and sharing one of your most valuable assets, your time, with both of us. We’re so grateful that you did, and I hope that you will join me again on the next episode of The Wellness Mama podcast.

If you’re enjoying these interviews, would you please take two minutes to leave a rating or review on iTunes for me? Doing this helps more people to find the podcast, which means even more moms and families could benefit from the information. I really appreciate your time, and thanks as always for listening.

The post Mindfulness for Moms With Ziva Meditation | Wellness Mama Podcast appeared first on METAMORPHOSIS.

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[lindafrancois]

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first!

These days, Acai bowls are the hottest thing on the streets.

It’s been called “the healthiest breakfast on the planet” by some news outlets.

The hype machine is operating at full capacity for this South American berry. It’s a superfood that will help you lose weight, extend your lifespan, and help defend your body against aging!

Are these claims true?

Clearly the people marketing acai berries and bowls don’t care – as long as they can hype the crap out of it, there’s money to be made.

Hell, I walked down the street the other day and saw a place named “Acai Ya Later.”

If you’ve been reading Nerd Fitness for a while, it’s no secret I’m a fan of a well done pun, even if they need to mispronounce “acai” to make it work.

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of bogus health claims, even if there are puns involved!

So today I’m gonna dig into the facts about acai berries, acai bowls, and eternal life from fruit.

No hype.

No acai supplement to sell you. No “superfood” claims.

Just the truth. And funny gifs. Always gifs.

What is an acai berry?

The acai berry is the small purple fruit found on the acai palm.

They come from Brazil and other northern regions of South America. 80% of the berry is actually the seed, which for the most part people don’t eat.

This leaves only about 20% for the flesh and skin of the berry, the stuff people generally do eat.

Why should you care about acai?

Generally, the answer lies in the word “antioxidants”.

I know, “Why the hell do I care about antioxidants?”

Great question.

Antioxidants are substances that fight a process called oxidation.

When your body interacts with too much sunlight, toxins in smoke, air pollution, alcohol, and other challenges, it can create “free radicals,” AKA molecules with an unpaired electron.

And these molecules? They are single and ready to mingle. So when they collide with an electron that’s already paired, they more or less steal it.

Rude.

This molecule then has to steal another electron, and the process continues. You can see how this could get out of hand. While some free radicals are normal, too many in our bodies can indeed lead to cancer [2].

Note that “Free Radicals” are different from “the New Radicals,” a one-hit wonder:

Which brings me back to antioxidants.

Depending on the particular molecule, antioxidants either provide the free radical with an extra electron, or break it down altogether.

The point: antioxidants neutralize free radicals, making them harmless.

That’s why antioxidants are important.

In our quest to get to the bottom of the hype on acai, antioxidants will prove critical. But I want to address an even more important point before we get there.

How do you pronounce “acai”?

We need to talk about how you actually pronounce “acai?” I’ve seen it make all sorts of people tongue tied.

And you want to sound important and all-knowing at your next cocktail party, right?

It’s “”ah-sigh-ee.” Like this:

Often times, when exotic fruit is brought to the West, it’s name is changed so it’s easier to pronounce.

Story time: This happened with the fruit “kiwi,” actually called “Yang-tao” in China. But marketers banked on “kiwi” being easier to say than Yang-tao, pronounced “yahng tou” in English. So they named it after the famous kiwi bird from New Zealand.

And boom, that’s why you know kiwi fruit as “kiwis.”

Such a name swap didn’t happen with acai.

Acai has kept its original Brazilian name, which is why us English speakers trip up pronouncing it[3].

Which is a logical segue to our next section.

Why are acai bowls so popular?

The credit of the acai berry being popular outside of Brazil can be attributed to Ryan and Jeremy Black, two brothers from Southern California.

Together with their friend Ed Nichols they realized the acai berry could have a potential gigantic market in the West.

The Black brothers and Nichols came across acai on a trip to Brazil. The locals encouraged them to try it, proclaiming the health benefits of the berry: an energy boost, kickstarted immunity, and detoxification.

They got HOOKED on these things, and from then on, whenever Ryan, Jeremy, and Ed were in Brazil, they would search for an icy acai bowl.

On one such trip, the Black brothers and Nichols discussed how great it would be to enjoy acai back in the States.

Strange fruit from Brazil with antioxidants?

Exotic, healthy, and easy to make grandiose claims about?

CHA-CHING!!!

And that’s why acai bowls can now be found in every city in America with a punny store name.

What’s in an acai bowl? What are some typical acai bowl recipes?

In Brazil, the acai (in the form of frozen pulp) is generally served in a bowl with granola and bananas. Sometimes a fourth ingredient would be used, the Amazonian fruit guarana, which contains more caffeine than coffee.

Simple enough.

How about here in the states? That’s where acai bowls get cray.

You’ll for sure get acai berries, granola, and banana. And maybe guarana. But how about some of the following:

Agave

Apple Juice

Almond Milk

Almond Butter

Blueberries

Coconut

Honey

Mango Juice

Peanut Butter

Pomegranate

Soy Milk

Strawberries

Pick a handful of the above, mix them in a bowl, and BOOM! Acai bowl.

One thing most ingredients listed or referenced have in common, is they are carbohydrate and/or sugar heavy. Some, like agave and honey, are more or less just sugar.

Which brings me to an important and really fun point:

Fact checking the acai bowl hype

There are a lot of health claims associated to the acai berry. Some of which make my eyebrows raise. Others make me nod approvingly. And one or two that make my soul hurt. 

Which is why I’d like to introduce my new favorite Nerd Fitness game, “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”:

CLAIM #1: “There are good antioxidants in acai berries.”

REALITY: True!

Acai berries are indeed high in antioxidants[4]. Which is great, for the reasons we talked about earlier. When people talk about the benefits of the acai berry, it more or less comes down to antioxidants.

I support this claim. Now, I will mention just about any berry you pick (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) is also a great source of antioxidants. But I won’t completely steal the acai berry’s thunder.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #2: “Acai berries are nutrient dense.”

REALITY: Also true!

Acai berries contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries. Plus acai is a great source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. They also contain plenty of minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

Good stuff there. As a proponent of eating REAL food that are nutrient dense, I would throw acai into that category. An acai berry is REAL food.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #3: “Acai berries aid digestion.”

REALITY: eh, sort of.

Fiber aids digestion. And acai skin and pulp contain fiber. So acai aids digestion?

Sure, that’s true. But it’s not the complete picture. All sort of things contain fiber, like every other berry you’ve ever heard of. Plus, some food like carrots, are more much fibrous than the acai berry.

There is no special acai ingredient to improve digestion. If fiber is what you’re after, an acai berry isn’t a bad decision. But it’s not the single best option.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #4: “Acai has anti-aging powers.”

REALITY: Bollocks! Hogwash!

Antioxidants are a good thing, because keeping your cells healthy and clear of free radicals is important. But are your wrinkles going to smooth out with the help of a berry? Or really, anything shy of botox? Don’t buy into this.

Acai have no special anti-aging magic. If the claim is antioxidants reverse aging, sure, in that they keep cells healthy. But not in the “I’m going to reverse time” way.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #5: “Acai will improve libido.”

REALITY: Poppycock!

Will eating nutritiously lead to improved health? Which will improve how your body functions? Which could include libido? Sure.

Is there a berry out there that will make you awesome in the bedroom? No.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #6: “Acai berries help weight loss.”

REALITY: False.

“Acai is a nutrient-rich source of antioxidants, much like many other fruits, but there is nothing magical about the fruit to cause weight loss.” Thank you David Grotto, RD[5].

Promises like better health, improved libido, and weight loss sell well. That’s why you’ll come across them. But as the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Naturally, the idea that a berry will make you lose weight is silly. It depends on what else you are consuming, and in what quantities, in addition to the acai berry. I’m going to cover this more extensively below.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

Can I lose weight eating acai bowls?

Maybe!

It truly depends on how you used to eat and what else you eat every day.

To help paint this picture, let’s talk about the carbohydrates and sugars in an acai bowl.

Let’s start with the traditional acai bowl: acai puree, granola, and some banana. That will run about 355 calories, including 50 grams of carbohydrates, with 18 grams of those being sugar.

For comparison, the average bagel from a deli will have about 350 calories and 50 grams of carbs.

And that’s just a traditional bowl: what about the Americanized versions?

Acai puree often has sugar added to it, since the acai berry itself isn’t too sweet. Plus, an acai place might also pour things like honey and agave into the bowl. And don’t forget fruit contains quite a bit of sugar.

When you add it all up, it becomes a lot.

Let’s analyze the 12 oz. Acai Berry Bowl from “Juice It Up”: acai puree, a strawberry juice blend, actual strawberries, blueberries, and guarana. This rakes up:

340 calories

66 grams of carbohydrates

60 grams of sugar (more than a can of Coke!)

If you called this meal a “carb bomb” or “sugar bomb,” I wouldn’t disagree with you. And none of this factors in additional toppings like coconut flakes or granola.

You can see how all of this adds up quickly. Acai bowls with over 90 grams of sugar are not unheard of.

That’s why I cringe when I read the Huffington Post’s article that acai bowls are the world’s healthiest breakfast[6]. I have no problem if you eat an acai bowl for breakfast.

But don’t let the good attributes of a South American berry distract you. Carbs, calories, and sugar don’t count less just because there are antioxidants present.

Eating a pile of pureed carbs, topped with carbs, and sprinkled with carbs, might be only a slightly better decision than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

All of this to say: be smart and learn about what you’re eating! Know the caloric, carbohydrate and sugar makeup of the food you eat, even if it’s “super.”

What’s a better plan for breakfast?

If you are going to eat breakfast, shift your focus from a pile of carbs to something loaded with protein and healthy fat. It’ll help fill you up in a more calorically-efficient manner, provide your muscles with rebuilding fuel, and not spike your insulin levels like sugar/carbs can do[7].

Eggs are a breakfast staple that Team Nerd Fitness wholly endorses. You can read our five favorite quick recipes here.

If you need some other examples for meal ideas, check out our post on 10 meals that can be made in 10 minutes.

But that’s only if you actually want to eat breakfast. You can also…

SKIP BREAKFAST. Some people forgo breakfast all together! Like me. It’s called intermittent fasting. It lets you make one less meal decision for the day, you’re less likely to overeat in a day, and it can help manage your insulin levels.

So start with protein in the morning. Or skip breakfast. But personally I wouldn’t start with a bucket of sugar in puree form if I was trying to lose weight.

Bummed out that your superfood breakfast isn’t that super? I hear ya. There’s nothing worse than TRYING to be healthy and discovering the food you thought was helping you lose weight is actually making things worse! Crap. Fun fact: I used to eat tons of granola bars and thought they were healthy (nope, carb and sugar bombs – might as well have been a Snickers!)

So whether it’s making sense of healthy breakfasts, learning how to eat better the rest of the day, or even just having an accountability partner to check in with, Nerd Fitness has helped thousands.

If you are looking for a personal coach that will help you stay accountable without judgement, help guide you to make better food choices, and get you results results that stick, check out our uber popular 1-on-1 online coaching program!

It’s kind of like having Yoda in your pocket (through your phone, not the Force…yet).

If this sounds like something that could help you, schedule a free call! You can talk to our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other! Click the image below to schedule now.

Be wary of anything called a superfood!

If you ever read anything about a “superfood,” let this act as a public service announcement.

Be skeptical. Marketers love this term because it’s not defined, regulated, or provable. Meaning it can be used at whim to sell whatever to desperate folks trying to lose weight with zero repercussions

BOOOOO!

The acai is a well hyped piece of fruit thanks to a serious marketing engine and lots of money at stake.

Like most berries, it has good antioxidants and nutrients. Good stuff.

And If you like the taste and want to treat yo self? Occasionally, hell yeah.

Should you eat one everyday for breakfast? Especially smothered in granola, drizzled with honey, and topped with more carbs/sugar?

There’s likely a better option if you’re not seeing success and losing weight. Here’s our advice on healthy eating for weight loss.

Don’t let headlines and hype distract you from what’s really going on. Tons of calories and sugar in the AM is a bad strategy if you’re trying to lose weight.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on acai? Or does this berry deserve to have some of its hype squashed. Let me know in the comments.

Also, do you have any other “superfoods” you want us to take on in future “Liar, Liar Pants on Fire” posts?

-Steve, who is definitely NOT hiding from Brazilian acai marketing companies in my apartment closet, so don’t bother looking there.

PS: If this article has you flipped upside down, and now you don’t know WHAT to eat, in addition to our 1-on-1 Coaching program, we also have a free 10-level Nutrition Blueprint you can download for free! Print it out, hang it on your fridge, and start making better food choices today.

You can get yours fo’ free when you sign up in the box below:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here[8]

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Study on free radicals and cancer found here.

Fun fact: if you say “acai” three times into a bathroom mirror a free radical shows up and slaps you in the mouth.

Check out the study here.

Check out that WebMD article here.

Check out the Huffinton Post piece here

Study on protein vs. carbs on insulin is here.

Photo: indian jones, acai berry, old man, acai bowl, acai bowl II, rockstar, jump, eggs, ninja

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first! published first on https://dietariouspage.tumblr.com/

[fitnetpro]

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first!

These days, Acai bowls are the hottest thing on the streets.

It’s been called “the healthiest breakfast on the planet” by some news outlets.

The hype machine is operating at full capacity for this South American berry. It’s a superfood that will help you lose weight, extend your lifespan, and help defend your body against aging!

Are these claims true?

Clearly the people marketing acai berries and bowls don’t care – as long as they can hype the crap out of it, there’s money to be made.

Hell, I walked down the street the other day and saw a place named “Acai Ya Later.”

If you’ve been reading Nerd Fitness for a while, it’s no secret I’m a fan of a well done pun, even if they need to mispronounce “acai” to make it work.

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of bogus health claims, even if there are puns involved!

So today I’m gonna dig into the facts about acai berries, acai bowls, and eternal life from fruit.

No hype.

No acai supplement to sell you. No “superfood” claims.

Just the truth. And funny gifs. Always gifs.

What is an acai berry?

The acai berry is the small purple fruit found on the acai palm.

They come from Brazil and other northern regions of South America. 80% of the berry is actually the seed, which for the most part people don’t eat.

This leaves only about 20% for the flesh and skin of the berry, the stuff people generally do eat.

Why should you care about acai?

Generally, the answer lies in the word “antioxidants”.

I know, “Why the hell do I care about antioxidants?”

Great question.

Antioxidants are substances that fight a process called oxidation.

When your body interacts with too much sunlight, toxins in smoke, air pollution, alcohol, and other challenges, it can create “free radicals,” AKA molecules with an unpaired electron.

And these molecules? They are single and ready to mingle. So when they collide with an electron that’s already paired, they more or less steal it.

Rude.

This molecule then has to steal another electron, and the process continues. You can see how this could get out of hand. While some free radicals are normal, too many in our bodies can indeed lead to cancer [2].

Note that “Free Radicals” are different from “the New Radicals,” a one-hit wonder:

Which brings me back to antioxidants.

Depending on the particular molecule, antioxidants either provide the free radical with an extra electron, or break it down altogether.

The point: antioxidants neutralize free radicals, making them harmless.

That’s why antioxidants are important.

In our quest to get to the bottom of the hype on acai, antioxidants will prove critical. But I want to address an even more important point before we get there.

How do you pronounce “acai”?

We need to talk about how you actually pronounce “acai?” I’ve seen it make all sorts of people tongue tied.

And you want to sound important and all-knowing at your next cocktail party, right?

It’s “”ah-sigh-ee.” Like this:

Often times, when exotic fruit is brought to the West, it’s name is changed so it’s easier to pronounce.

Story time: This happened with the fruit “kiwi,” actually called “Yang-tao” in China. But marketers banked on “kiwi” being easier to say than Yang-tao, pronounced “yahng tou” in English. So they named it after the famous kiwi bird from New Zealand.

And boom, that’s why you know kiwi fruit as “kiwis.”

Such a name swap didn’t happen with acai.

Acai has kept its original Brazilian name, which is why us English speakers trip up pronouncing it[3].

Which is a logical segue to our next section.

Why are acai bowls so popular?

The credit of the acai berry being popular outside of Brazil can be attributed to Ryan and Jeremy Black, two brothers from Southern California.

Together with their friend Ed Nichols they realized the acai berry could have a potential gigantic market in the West.

The Black brothers and Nichols came across acai on a trip to Brazil. The locals encouraged them to try it, proclaiming the health benefits of the berry: an energy boost, kickstarted immunity, and detoxification.

They got HOOKED on these things, and from then on, whenever Ryan, Jeremy, and Ed were in Brazil, they would search for an icy acai bowl.

On one such trip, the Black brothers and Nichols discussed how great it would be to enjoy acai back in the States.

Strange fruit from Brazil with antioxidants?

Exotic, healthy, and easy to make grandiose claims about?

CHA-CHING!!!

And that’s why acai bowls can now be found in every city in America with a punny store name.

What’s in an acai bowl? What are some typical acai bowl recipes?

In Brazil, the acai (in the form of frozen pulp) is generally served in a bowl with granola and bananas. Sometimes a fourth ingredient would be used, the Amazonian fruit guarana, which contains more caffeine than coffee.

Simple enough.

How about here in the states? That’s where acai bowls get cray.

You’ll for sure get acai berries, granola, and banana. And maybe guarana. But how about some of the following:

Agave

Apple Juice

Almond Milk

Almond Butter

Blueberries

Coconut

Honey

Mango Juice

Peanut Butter

Pomegranate

Soy Milk

Strawberries

Pick a handful of the above, mix them in a bowl, and BOOM! Acai bowl.

One thing most ingredients listed or referenced have in common, is they are carbohydrate and/or sugar heavy. Some, like agave and honey, are more or less just sugar.

Which brings me to an important and really fun point:

Fact checking the acai bowl hype

There are a lot of health claims associated to the acai berry. Some of which make my eyebrows raise. Others make me nod approvingly. And one or two that make my soul hurt. 

Which is why I’d like to introduce my new favorite Nerd Fitness game, “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”:

CLAIM #1: “There are good antioxidants in acai berries.”

REALITY: True!

Acai berries are indeed high in antioxidants[4]. Which is great, for the reasons we talked about earlier. When people talk about the benefits of the acai berry, it more or less comes down to antioxidants.

I support this claim. Now, I will mention just about any berry you pick (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) is also a great source of antioxidants. But I won’t completely steal the acai berry’s thunder.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #2: “Acai berries are nutrient dense.”

REALITY: Also true!

Acai berries contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries. Plus acai is a great source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. They also contain plenty of minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

Good stuff there. As a proponent of eating REAL food that are nutrient dense, I would throw acai into that category. An acai berry is REAL food.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #3: “Acai berries aid digestion.”

REALITY: eh, sort of.

Fiber aids digestion. And acai skin and pulp contain fiber. So acai aids digestion?

Sure, that’s true. But it’s not the complete picture. All sort of things contain fiber, like every other berry you’ve ever heard of. Plus, some food like carrots, are more much fibrous than the acai berry.

There is no special acai ingredient to improve digestion. If fiber is what you’re after, an acai berry isn’t a bad decision. But it’s not the single best option.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #4: “Acai has anti-aging powers.”

REALITY: Bollocks! Hogwash!

Antioxidants are a good thing, because keeping your cells healthy and clear of free radicals is important. But are your wrinkles going to smooth out with the help of a berry? Or really, anything shy of botox? Don’t buy into this.

Acai have no special anti-aging magic. If the claim is antioxidants reverse aging, sure, in that they keep cells healthy. But not in the “I’m going to reverse time” way.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #5: “Acai will improve libido.”

REALITY: Poppycock!

Will eating nutritiously lead to improved health? Which will improve how your body functions? Which could include libido? Sure.

Is there a berry out there that will make you awesome in the bedroom? No.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #6: “Acai berries help weight loss.”

REALITY: False.

“Acai is a nutrient-rich source of antioxidants, much like many other fruits, but there is nothing magical about the fruit to cause weight loss.” Thank you David Grotto, RD[5].

Promises like better health, improved libido, and weight loss sell well. That’s why you’ll come across them. But as the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Naturally, the idea that a berry will make you lose weight is silly. It depends on what else you are consuming, and in what quantities, in addition to the acai berry. I’m going to cover this more extensively below.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

Can I lose weight eating acai bowls?

Maybe!

It truly depends on how you used to eat and what else you eat every day.

To help paint this picture, let’s talk about the carbohydrates and sugars in an acai bowl.

Let’s start with the traditional acai bowl: acai puree, granola, and some banana. That will run about 355 calories, including 50 grams of carbohydrates, with 18 grams of those being sugar.

For comparison, the average bagel from a deli will have about 350 calories and 50 grams of carbs.

And that’s just a traditional bowl: what about the Americanized versions?

Acai puree often has sugar added to it, since the acai berry itself isn’t too sweet. Plus, an acai place might also pour things like honey and agave into the bowl. And don’t forget fruit contains quite a bit of sugar.

When you add it all up, it becomes a lot.

Let’s analyze the 12 oz. Acai Berry Bowl from “Juice It Up”: acai puree, a strawberry juice blend, actual strawberries, blueberries, and guarana. This rakes up:

340 calories

66 grams of carbohydrates

60 grams of sugar (more than a can of Coke!)

If you called this meal a “carb bomb” or “sugar bomb,” I wouldn’t disagree with you. And none of this factors in additional toppings like coconut flakes or granola.

You can see how all of this adds up quickly. Acai bowls with over 90 grams of sugar are not unheard of.

That’s why I cringe when I read the Huffington Post’s article that acai bowls are the world’s healthiest breakfast[6]. I have no problem if you eat an acai bowl for breakfast.

But don’t let the good attributes of a South American berry distract you. Carbs, calories, and sugar don’t count less just because there are antioxidants present.

Eating a pile of pureed carbs, topped with carbs, and sprinkled with carbs, might be only a slightly better decision than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

All of this to say: be smart and learn about what you’re eating! Know the caloric, carbohydrate and sugar makeup of the food you eat, even if it’s “super.”

What’s a better plan for breakfast?

If you are going to eat breakfast, shift your focus from a pile of carbs to something loaded with protein and healthy fat. It’ll help fill you up in a more calorically-efficient manner, provide your muscles with rebuilding fuel, and not spike your insulin levels like sugar/carbs can do[7].

Eggs are a breakfast staple that Team Nerd Fitness wholly endorses. You can read our five favorite quick recipes here.

If you need some other examples for meal ideas, check out our post on 10 meals that can be made in 10 minutes.

But that’s only if you actually want to eat breakfast. You can also…

SKIP BREAKFAST. Some people forgo breakfast all together! Like me. It’s called intermittent fasting. It lets you make one less meal decision for the day, you’re less likely to overeat in a day, and it can help manage your insulin levels.

So start with protein in the morning. Or skip breakfast. But personally I wouldn’t start with a bucket of sugar in puree form if I was trying to lose weight.

Bummed out that your superfood breakfast isn’t that super? I hear ya. There’s nothing worse than TRYING to be healthy and discovering the food you thought was helping you lose weight is actually making things worse! Crap. Fun fact: I used to eat tons of granola bars and thought they were healthy (nope, carb and sugar bombs – might as well have been a Snickers!)

So whether it’s making sense of healthy breakfasts, learning how to eat better the rest of the day, or even just having an accountability partner to check in with, Nerd Fitness has helped thousands.

If you are looking for a personal coach that will help you stay accountable without judgement, help guide you to make better food choices, and get you results results that stick, check out our uber popular 1-on-1 online coaching program!

It’s kind of like having Yoda in your pocket (through your phone, not the Force…yet).

If this sounds like something that could help you, schedule a free call! You can talk to our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other! Click the image below to schedule now.

Be wary of anything called a superfood!

If you ever read anything about a “superfood,” let this act as a public service announcement.

Be skeptical. Marketers love this term because it’s not defined, regulated, or provable. Meaning it can be used at whim to sell whatever to desperate folks trying to lose weight with zero repercussions

BOOOOO!

The acai is a well hyped piece of fruit thanks to a serious marketing engine and lots of money at stake.

Like most berries, it has good antioxidants and nutrients. Good stuff.

And If you like the taste and want to treat yo self? Occasionally, hell yeah.

Should you eat one everyday for breakfast? Especially smothered in granola, drizzled with honey, and topped with more carbs/sugar?

There’s likely a better option if you’re not seeing success and losing weight. Here’s our advice on healthy eating for weight loss.

Don’t let headlines and hype distract you from what’s really going on. Tons of calories and sugar in the AM is a bad strategy if you’re trying to lose weight.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on acai? Or does this berry deserve to have some of its hype squashed. Let me know in the comments.

Also, do you have any other “superfoods” you want us to take on in future “Liar, Liar Pants on Fire” posts?

-Steve, who is definitely NOT hiding from Brazilian acai marketing companies in my apartment closet, so don’t bother looking there.

PS: If this article has you flipped upside down, and now you don’t know WHAT to eat, in addition to our 1-on-1 Coaching program, we also have a free 10-level Nutrition Blueprint you can download for free! Print it out, hang it on your fridge, and start making better food choices today.

You can get yours fo’ free when you sign up in the box below:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here[8]

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Study on free radicals and cancer found here.

Fun fact: if you say “acai” three times into a bathroom mirror a free radical shows up and slaps you in the mouth.

Check out the study here.

Check out that WebMD article here.

Check out the Huffinton Post piece here

Study on protein vs. carbs on insulin is here.

Photo: indian jones, acai berry, old man, acai bowl, acai bowl II, rockstar, jump, eggs, ninja

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first! published first on http://fitnetpro.tumblr.com/

[ruthellisneda]

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first!

These days, Acai bowls are the hottest thing on the streets.

It’s been called “the healthiest breakfast on the planet” by some news outlets.

The hype machine is operating at full capacity for this South American berry. It’s a superfood that will help you lose weight, extend your lifespan, and help defend your body against aging!

Are these claims true?

Clearly the people marketing acai berries and bowls don’t care – as long as they can hype the crap out of it, there’s money to be made.

Hell, I walked down the street the other day and saw a place named “Acai Ya Later.”

If you’ve been reading Nerd Fitness for a while, it’s no secret I’m a fan of a well done pun, even if they need to mispronounce “acai” to make it work.

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of bogus health claims, even if there are puns involved!

So today I’m gonna dig into the facts about acai berries, acai bowls, and eternal life from fruit.

No hype.

No acai supplement to sell you. No “superfood” claims.

Just the truth. And funny gifs. Always gifs.

What is an acai berry?

The acai berry is the small purple fruit found on the acai palm.

They come from Brazil and other northern regions of South America. 80% of the berry is actually the seed, which for the most part people don’t eat.

This leaves only about 20% for the flesh and skin of the berry, the stuff people generally do eat.

Why should you care about acai?

Generally, the answer lies in the word “antioxidants”.

I know, “Why the hell do I care about antioxidants?”

Great question.

Antioxidants are substances that fight a process called oxidation.

When your body interacts with too much sunlight, toxins in smoke, air pollution, alcohol, and other challenges, it can create “free radicals,” AKA molecules with an unpaired electron.

And these molecules? They are single and ready to mingle. So when they collide with an electron that’s already paired, they more or less steal it.

Rude.

This molecule then has to steal another electron, and the process continues. You can see how this could get out of hand. While some free radicals are normal, too many in our bodies can indeed lead to cancer [2].

Note that “Free Radicals” are different from “the New Radicals,” a one-hit wonder:

Which brings me back to antioxidants.

Depending on the particular molecule, antioxidants either provide the free radical with an extra electron, or break it down altogether.

The point: antioxidants neutralize free radicals, making them harmless.

That’s why antioxidants are important.

In our quest to get to the bottom of the hype on acai, antioxidants will prove critical. But I want to address an even more important point before we get there.

How do you pronounce “acai”?

We need to talk about how you actually pronounce “acai?” I’ve seen it make all sorts of people tongue tied.

And you want to sound important and all-knowing at your next cocktail party, right?

It’s “”ah-sigh-ee.” Like this:

Often times, when exotic fruit is brought to the West, it’s name is changed so it’s easier to pronounce.

Story time: This happened with the fruit “kiwi,” actually called “Yang-tao” in China. But marketers banked on “kiwi” being easier to say than Yang-tao, pronounced “yahng tou” in English. So they named it after the famous kiwi bird from New Zealand.

And boom, that’s why you know kiwi fruit as “kiwis.”

Such a name swap didn’t happen with acai.

Acai has kept its original Brazilian name, which is why us English speakers trip up pronouncing it[3].

Which is a logical segue to our next section.

Why are acai bowls so popular?

The credit of the acai berry being popular outside of Brazil can be attributed to Ryan and Jeremy Black, two brothers from Southern California.

Together with their friend Ed Nichols they realized the acai berry could have a potential gigantic market in the West.

The Black brothers and Nichols came across acai on a trip to Brazil. The locals encouraged them to try it, proclaiming the health benefits of the berry: an energy boost, kickstarted immunity, and detoxification.

They got HOOKED on these things, and from then on, whenever Ryan, Jeremy, and Ed were in Brazil, they would search for an icy acai bowl.

On one such trip, the Black brothers and Nichols discussed how great it would be to enjoy acai back in the States.

Strange fruit from Brazil with antioxidants?

Exotic, healthy, and easy to make grandiose claims about?

CHA-CHING!!!

And that’s why acai bowls can now be found in every city in America with a punny store name.

What’s in an acai bowl? What are some typical acai bowl recipes?

In Brazil, the acai (in the form of frozen pulp) is generally served in a bowl with granola and bananas. Sometimes a fourth ingredient would be used, the Amazonian fruit guarana, which contains more caffeine than coffee.

Simple enough.

How about here in the states? That’s where acai bowls get cray.

You’ll for sure get acai berries, granola, and banana. And maybe guarana. But how about some of the following:

Agave

Apple Juice

Almond Milk

Almond Butter

Blueberries

Coconut

Honey

Mango Juice

Peanut Butter

Pomegranate

Soy Milk

Strawberries

Pick a handful of the above, mix them in a bowl, and BOOM! Acai bowl.

One thing most ingredients listed or referenced have in common, is they are carbohydrate and/or sugar heavy. Some, like agave and honey, are more or less just sugar.

Which brings me to an important and really fun point:

Fact checking the acai bowl hype

There are a lot of health claims associated to the acai berry. Some of which make my eyebrows raise. Others make me nod approvingly. And one or two that make my soul hurt. 

Which is why I’d like to introduce my new favorite Nerd Fitness game, “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”:

CLAIM #1: “There are good antioxidants in acai berries.”

REALITY: True!

Acai berries are indeed high in antioxidants[4]. Which is great, for the reasons we talked about earlier. When people talk about the benefits of the acai berry, it more or less comes down to antioxidants.

I support this claim. Now, I will mention just about any berry you pick (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) is also a great source of antioxidants. But I won’t completely steal the acai berry’s thunder.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #2: “Acai berries are nutrient dense.”

REALITY: Also true!

Acai berries contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries. Plus acai is a great source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. They also contain plenty of minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

Good stuff there. As a proponent of eating REAL food that are nutrient dense, I would throw acai into that category. An acai berry is REAL food.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #3: “Acai berries aid digestion.”

REALITY: eh, sort of.

Fiber aids digestion. And acai skin and pulp contain fiber. So acai aids digestion?

Sure, that’s true. But it’s not the complete picture. All sort of things contain fiber, like every other berry you’ve ever heard of. Plus, some food like carrots, are more much fibrous than the acai berry.

There is no special acai ingredient to improve digestion. If fiber is what you’re after, an acai berry isn’t a bad decision. But it’s not the single best option.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #4: “Acai has anti-aging powers.”

REALITY: Bollocks! Hogwash!

Antioxidants are a good thing, because keeping your cells healthy and clear of free radicals is important. But are your wrinkles going to smooth out with the help of a berry? Or really, anything shy of botox? Don’t buy into this.

Acai have no special anti-aging magic. If the claim is antioxidants reverse aging, sure, in that they keep cells healthy. But not in the “I’m going to reverse time” way.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #5: “Acai will improve libido.”

REALITY: Poppycock!

Will eating nutritiously lead to improved health? Which will improve how your body functions? Which could include libido? Sure.

Is there a berry out there that will make you awesome in the bedroom? No.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #6: “Acai berries help weight loss.”

REALITY: False.

“Acai is a nutrient-rich source of antioxidants, much like many other fruits, but there is nothing magical about the fruit to cause weight loss.” Thank you David Grotto, RD[5].

Promises like better health, improved libido, and weight loss sell well. That’s why you’ll come across them. But as the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Naturally, the idea that a berry will make you lose weight is silly. It depends on what else you are consuming, and in what quantities, in addition to the acai berry. I’m going to cover this more extensively below.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

Can I lose weight eating acai bowls?

Maybe!

It truly depends on how you used to eat and what else you eat every day.

To help paint this picture, let’s talk about the carbohydrates and sugars in an acai bowl.

Let’s start with the traditional acai bowl: acai puree, granola, and some banana. That will run about 355 calories, including 50 grams of carbohydrates, with 18 grams of those being sugar.

For comparison, the average bagel from a deli will have about 350 calories and 50 grams of carbs.

And that’s just a traditional bowl: what about the Americanized versions?

Acai puree often has sugar added to it, since the acai berry itself isn’t too sweet. Plus, an acai place might also pour things like honey and agave into the bowl. And don’t forget fruit contains quite a bit of sugar.

When you add it all up, it becomes a lot.

Let’s analyze the 12 oz. Acai Berry Bowl from “Juice It Up”: acai puree, a strawberry juice blend, actual strawberries, blueberries, and guarana. This rakes up:

340 calories

66 grams of carbohydrates

60 grams of sugar (more than a can of Coke!)

If you called this meal a “carb bomb” or “sugar bomb,” I wouldn’t disagree with you. And none of this factors in additional toppings like coconut flakes or granola.

You can see how all of this adds up quickly. Acai bowls with over 90 grams of sugar are not unheard of.

That’s why I cringe when I read the Huffington Post’s article that acai bowls are the world’s healthiest breakfast[6]. I have no problem if you eat an acai bowl for breakfast.

But don’t let the good attributes of a South American berry distract you. Carbs, calories, and sugar don’t count less just because there are antioxidants present.

Eating a pile of pureed carbs, topped with carbs, and sprinkled with carbs, might be only a slightly better decision than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

All of this to say: be smart and learn about what you’re eating! Know the caloric, carbohydrate and sugar makeup of the food you eat, even if it’s “super.”

What’s a better plan for breakfast?

If you are going to eat breakfast, shift your focus from a pile of carbs to something loaded with protein and healthy fat. It’ll help fill you up in a more calorically-efficient manner, provide your muscles with rebuilding fuel, and not spike your insulin levels like sugar/carbs can do[7].

Eggs are a breakfast staple that Team Nerd Fitness wholly endorses. You can read our five favorite quick recipes here.

If you need some other examples for meal ideas, check out our post on 10 meals that can be made in 10 minutes.

But that’s only if you actually want to eat breakfast. You can also…

SKIP BREAKFAST. Some people forgo breakfast all together! Like me. It’s called intermittent fasting. It lets you make one less meal decision for the day, you’re less likely to overeat in a day, and it can help manage your insulin levels.

So start with protein in the morning. Or skip breakfast. But personally I wouldn’t start with a bucket of sugar in puree form if I was trying to lose weight.

Bummed out that your superfood breakfast isn’t that super? I hear ya. There’s nothing worse than TRYING to be healthy and discovering the food you thought was helping you lose weight is actually making things worse! Crap. Fun fact: I used to eat tons of granola bars and thought they were healthy (nope, carb and sugar bombs – might as well have been a Snickers!)

So whether it’s making sense of healthy breakfasts, learning how to eat better the rest of the day, or even just having an accountability partner to check in with, Nerd Fitness has helped thousands.

If you are looking for a personal coach that will help you stay accountable without judgement, help guide you to make better food choices, and get you results results that stick, check out our uber popular 1-on-1 online coaching program!

It’s kind of like having Yoda in your pocket (through your phone, not the Force…yet).

If this sounds like something that could help you, schedule a free call! You can talk to our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other! Click the image below to schedule now.

Be wary of anything called a superfood!

If you ever read anything about a “superfood,” let this act as a public service announcement.

Be skeptical. Marketers love this term because it’s not defined, regulated, or provable. Meaning it can be used at whim to sell whatever to desperate folks trying to lose weight with zero repercussions

BOOOOO!

The acai is a well hyped piece of fruit thanks to a serious marketing engine and lots of money at stake.

Like most berries, it has good antioxidants and nutrients. Good stuff.

And If you like the taste and want to treat yo self? Occasionally, hell yeah.

Should you eat one everyday for breakfast? Especially smothered in granola, drizzled with honey, and topped with more carbs/sugar?

There’s likely a better option if you’re not seeing success and losing weight. Here’s our advice on healthy eating for weight loss.

Don’t let headlines and hype distract you from what’s really going on. Tons of calories and sugar in the AM is a bad strategy if you’re trying to lose weight.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on acai? Or does this berry deserve to have some of its hype squashed. Let me know in the comments.

Also, do you have any other “superfoods” you want us to take on in future “Liar,..

https://ift.tt/2IheGXm

[joshuabradleyn]

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first!

These days, Acai bowls are the hottest thing on the streets.

It’s been called “the healthiest breakfast on the planet” by some news outlets.

The hype machine is operating at full capacity for this South American berry. It’s a superfood that will help you lose weight, extend your lifespan, and help defend your body against aging!

Are these claims true?

Clearly the people marketing acai berries and bowls don’t care – as long as they can hype the crap out of it, there’s money to be made.

Hell, I walked down the street the other day and saw a place named “Acai Ya Later.”

If you’ve been reading Nerd Fitness for a while, it’s no secret I’m a fan of a well done pun, even if they need to mispronounce “acai” to make it work.

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of bogus health claims, even if there are puns involved!

So today I’m gonna dig into the facts about acai berries, acai bowls, and eternal life from fruit.

No hype.

No acai supplement to sell you. No “superfood” claims.

Just the truth. And funny gifs. Always gifs.

What is an acai berry?

The acai berry is the small purple fruit found on the acai palm.

They come from Brazil and other northern regions of South America. 80% of the berry is actually the seed, which for the most part people don’t eat.

This leaves only about 20% for the flesh and skin of the berry, the stuff people generally do eat.

Why should you care about acai?

Generally, the answer lies in the word “antioxidants”.

I know, “Why the hell do I care about antioxidants?”

Great question.

Antioxidants are substances that fight a process called oxidation.

When your body interacts with too much sunlight, toxins in smoke, air pollution, alcohol, and other challenges, it can create “free radicals,” AKA molecules with an unpaired electron.

And these molecules? They are single and ready to mingle. So when they collide with an electron that’s already paired, they more or less steal it.

Rude.

This molecule then has to steal another electron, and the process continues. You can see how this could get out of hand. While some free radicals are normal, too many in our bodies can indeed lead to cancer [2].

Note that “Free Radicals” are different from “the New Radicals,” a one-hit wonder:

Which brings me back to antioxidants.

Depending on the particular molecule, antioxidants either provide the free radical with an extra electron, or break it down altogether.

The point: antioxidants neutralize free radicals, making them harmless.

That’s why antioxidants are important.

In our quest to get to the bottom of the hype on acai, antioxidants will prove critical. But I want to address an even more important point before we get there.

How do you pronounce “acai”?

We need to talk about how you actually pronounce “acai?” I’ve seen it make all sorts of people tongue tied.

And you want to sound important and all-knowing at your next cocktail party, right?

It’s “”ah-sigh-ee.” Like this:

Often times, when exotic fruit is brought to the West, it’s name is changed so it’s easier to pronounce.

Story time: This happened with the fruit “kiwi,” actually called “Yang-tao” in China. But marketers banked on “kiwi” being easier to say than Yang-tao, pronounced “yahng tou” in English. So they named it after the famous kiwi bird from New Zealand.

And boom, that’s why you know kiwi fruit as “kiwis.”

Such a name swap didn’t happen with acai.

Acai has kept its original Brazilian name, which is why us English speakers trip up pronouncing it[3].

Which is a logical segue to our next section.

Why are acai bowls so popular?

The credit of the acai berry being popular outside of Brazil can be attributed to Ryan and Jeremy Black, two brothers from Southern California.

Together with their friend Ed Nichols they realized the acai berry could have a potential gigantic market in the West.

The Black brothers and Nichols came across acai on a trip to Brazil. The locals encouraged them to try it, proclaiming the health benefits of the berry: an energy boost, kickstarted immunity, and detoxification.

They got HOOKED on these things, and from then on, whenever Ryan, Jeremy, and Ed were in Brazil, they would search for an icy acai bowl.

On one such trip, the Black brothers and Nichols discussed how great it would be to enjoy acai back in the States.

Strange fruit from Brazil with antioxidants?

Exotic, healthy, and easy to make grandiose claims about?

CHA-CHING!!!

And that’s why acai bowls can now be found in every city in America with a punny store name.

What’s in an acai bowl? What are some typical acai bowl recipes?

In Brazil, the acai (in the form of frozen pulp) is generally served in a bowl with granola and bananas. Sometimes a fourth ingredient would be used, the Amazonian fruit guarana, which contains more caffeine than coffee.

Simple enough.

How about here in the states? That’s where acai bowls get cray.

You’ll for sure get acai berries, granola, and banana. And maybe guarana. But how about some of the following:

Agave

Apple Juice

Almond Milk

Almond Butter

Blueberries

Coconut

Honey

Mango Juice

Peanut Butter

Pomegranate

Soy Milk

Strawberries

Pick a handful of the above, mix them in a bowl, and BOOM! Acai bowl.

One thing most ingredients listed or referenced have in common, is they are carbohydrate and/or sugar heavy. Some, like agave and honey, are more or less just sugar.

Which brings me to an important and really fun point:

Fact checking the acai bowl hype

There are a lot of health claims associated to the acai berry. Some of which make my eyebrows raise. Others make me nod approvingly. And one or two that make my soul hurt. 

Which is why I’d like to introduce my new favorite Nerd Fitness game, “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”:

CLAIM #1: “There are good antioxidants in acai berries.”

REALITY: True!

Acai berries are indeed high in antioxidants[4]. Which is great, for the reasons we talked about earlier. When people talk about the benefits of the acai berry, it more or less comes down to antioxidants.

I support this claim. Now, I will mention just about any berry you pick (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) is also a great source of antioxidants. But I won’t completely steal the acai berry’s thunder.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #2: “Acai berries are nutrient dense.”

REALITY: Also true!

Acai berries contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries. Plus acai is a great source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. They also contain plenty of minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

Good stuff there. As a proponent of eating REAL food that are nutrient dense, I would throw acai into that category. An acai berry is REAL food.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #3: “Acai berries aid digestion.”

REALITY: eh, sort of.

Fiber aids digestion. And acai skin and pulp contain fiber. So acai aids digestion?

Sure, that’s true. But it’s not the complete picture. All sort of things contain fiber, like every other berry you’ve ever heard of. Plus, some food like carrots, are more much fibrous than the acai berry.

There is no special acai ingredient to improve digestion. If fiber is what you’re after, an acai berry isn’t a bad decision. But it’s not the single best option.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #4: “Acai has anti-aging powers.”

REALITY: Bollocks! Hogwash!

Antioxidants are a good thing, because keeping your cells healthy and clear of free radicals is important. But are your wrinkles going to smooth out with the help of a berry? Or really, anything shy of botox? Don’t buy into this.

Acai have no special anti-aging magic. If the claim is antioxidants reverse aging, sure, in that they keep cells healthy. But not in the “I’m going to reverse time” way.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #5: “Acai will improve libido.”

REALITY: Poppycock!

Will eating nutritiously lead to improved health? Which will improve how your body functions? Which could include libido? Sure.

Is there a berry out there that will make you awesome in the bedroom? No.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #6: “Acai berries help weight loss.”

REALITY: False.

“Acai is a nutrient-rich source of antioxidants, much like many other fruits, but there is nothing magical about the fruit to cause weight loss.” Thank you David Grotto, RD[5].

Promises like better health, improved libido, and weight loss sell well. That’s why you’ll come across them. But as the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Naturally, the idea that a berry will make you lose weight is silly. It depends on what else you are consuming, and in what quantities, in addition to the acai berry. I’m going to cover this more extensively below.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

Can I lose weight eating acai bowls?

Maybe!

It truly depends on how you used to eat and what else you eat every day.

To help paint this picture, let’s talk about the carbohydrates and sugars in an acai bowl.

Let’s start with the traditional acai bowl: acai puree, granola, and some banana. That will run about 355 calories, including 50 grams of carbohydrates, with 18 grams of those being sugar.

For comparison, the average bagel from a deli will have about 350 calories and 50 grams of carbs.

And that’s just a traditional bowl: what about the Americanized versions?

Acai puree often has sugar added to it, since the acai berry itself isn’t too sweet. Plus, an acai place might also pour things like honey and agave into the bowl. And don’t forget fruit contains quite a bit of sugar.

When you add it all up, it becomes a lot.

Let’s analyze the 12 oz. Acai Berry Bowl from “Juice It Up”: acai puree, a strawberry juice blend, actual strawberries, blueberries, and guarana. This rakes up:

340 calories

66 grams of carbohydrates

60 grams of sugar (more than a can of Coke!)

If you called this meal a “carb bomb” or “sugar bomb,” I wouldn’t disagree with you. And none of this factors in additional toppings like coconut flakes or granola.

You can see how all of this adds up quickly. Acai bowls with over 90 grams of sugar are not unheard of.

That’s why I cringe when I read the Huffington Post’s article that acai bowls are the world’s healthiest breakfast[6]. I have no problem if you eat an acai bowl for breakfast.

But don’t let the good attributes of a South American berry distract you. Carbs, calories, and sugar don’t count less just because there are antioxidants present.

Eating a pile of pureed carbs, topped with carbs, and sprinkled with carbs, might be only a slightly better decision than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

All of this to say: be smart and learn about what you’re eating! Know the caloric, carbohydrate and sugar makeup of the food you eat, even if it’s “super.”

What’s a better plan for breakfast?

If you are going to eat breakfast, shift your focus from a pile of carbs to something loaded with protein and healthy fat. It’ll help fill you up in a more calorically-efficient manner, provide your muscles with rebuilding fuel, and not spike your insulin levels like sugar/carbs can do[7].

Eggs are a breakfast staple that Team Nerd Fitness wholly endorses. You can read our five favorite quick recipes here.

If you need some other examples for meal ideas, check out our post on 10 meals that can be made in 10 minutes.

But that’s only if you actually want to eat breakfast. You can also…

SKIP BREAKFAST. Some people forgo breakfast all together! Like me. It’s called intermittent fasting. It lets you make one less meal decision for the day, you’re less likely to overeat in a day, and it can help manage your insulin levels.

So start with protein in the morning. Or skip breakfast. But personally I wouldn’t start with a bucket of sugar in puree form if I was trying to lose weight.

Bummed out that your superfood breakfast isn’t that super? I hear ya. There’s nothing worse than TRYING to be healthy and discovering the food you thought was helping you lose weight is actually making things worse! Crap. Fun fact: I used to eat tons of granola bars and thought they were healthy (nope, carb and sugar bombs – might as well have been a Snickers!)

So whether it’s making sense of healthy breakfasts, learning how to eat better the rest of the day, or even just having an accountability partner to check in with, Nerd Fitness has helped thousands.

If you are looking for a personal coach that will help you stay accountable without judgement, help guide you to make better food choices, and get you results results that stick, check out our uber popular 1-on-1 online coaching program!

It’s kind of like having Yoda in your pocket (through your phone, not the Force…yet).

If this sounds like something that could help you, schedule a free call! You can talk to our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other! Click the image below to schedule now.

Be wary of anything called a superfood!

If you ever read anything about a “superfood,” let this act as a public service announcement.

Be skeptical. Marketers love this term because it’s not defined, regulated, or provable. Meaning it can be used at whim to sell whatever to desperate folks trying to lose weight with zero repercussions

BOOOOO!

The acai is a well hyped piece of fruit thanks to a serious marketing engine and lots of money at stake.

Like most berries, it has good antioxidants and nutrients. Good stuff.

And If you like the taste and want to treat yo self? Occasionally, hell yeah.

Should you eat one everyday for breakfast? Especially smothered in granola, drizzled with honey, and topped with more carbs/sugar?

There’s likely a better option if you’re not seeing success and losing weight. Here’s our advice on healthy eating for weight loss.

Don’t let headlines and hype distract you from what’s really going on. Tons of calories and sugar in the AM is a bad strategy if you’re trying to lose weight.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on acai? Or does this berry deserve to have some of its hype squashed. Let me know in the comments.

Also, do you have any other “superfoods” you want us to take on in future “Liar,..

https://ift.tt/2IheGXm

[neilmillerne]

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first!

These days, Acai bowls are the hottest thing on the streets.

It’s been called “the healthiest breakfast on the planet” by some news outlets.

The hype machine is operating at full capacity for this South American berry. It’s a superfood that will help you lose weight, extend your lifespan, and help defend your body against aging!

Are these claims true?

Clearly the people marketing acai berries and bowls don’t care – as long as they can hype the crap out of it, there’s money to be made.

Hell, I walked down the street the other day and saw a place named “Acai Ya Later.”

If you’ve been reading Nerd Fitness for a while, it’s no secret I’m a fan of a well done pun, even if they need to mispronounce “acai” to make it work.

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of bogus health claims, even if there are puns involved!

So today I’m gonna dig into the facts about acai berries, acai bowls, and eternal life from fruit.

No hype.

No acai supplement to sell you. No “superfood” claims.

Just the truth. And funny gifs. Always gifs.

What is an acai berry?

The acai berry is the small purple fruit found on the acai palm.

They come from Brazil and other northern regions of South America. 80% of the berry is actually the seed, which for the most part people don’t eat.

This leaves only about 20% for the flesh and skin of the berry, the stuff people generally do eat.

Why should you care about acai?

Generally, the answer lies in the word “antioxidants”.

I know, “Why the hell do I care about antioxidants?”

Great question.

Antioxidants are substances that fight a process called oxidation.

When your body interacts with too much sunlight, toxins in smoke, air pollution, alcohol, and other challenges, it can create “free radicals,” AKA molecules with an unpaired electron.

And these molecules? They are single and ready to mingle. So when they collide with an electron that’s already paired, they more or less steal it.

Rude.

This molecule then has to steal another electron, and the process continues. You can see how this could get out of hand. While some free radicals are normal, too many in our bodies can indeed lead to cancer [2].

Note that “Free Radicals” are different from “the New Radicals,” a one-hit wonder:

Which brings me back to antioxidants.

Depending on the particular molecule, antioxidants either provide the free radical with an extra electron, or break it down altogether.

The point: antioxidants neutralize free radicals, making them harmless.

That’s why antioxidants are important.

In our quest to get to the bottom of the hype on acai, antioxidants will prove critical. But I want to address an even more important point before we get there.

How do you pronounce “acai”?

We need to talk about how you actually pronounce “acai?” I’ve seen it make all sorts of people tongue tied.

And you want to sound important and all-knowing at your next cocktail party, right?

It’s “”ah-sigh-ee.” Like this:

Often times, when exotic fruit is brought to the West, it’s name is changed so it’s easier to pronounce.

Story time: This happened with the fruit “kiwi,” actually called “Yang-tao” in China. But marketers banked on “kiwi” being easier to say than Yang-tao, pronounced “yahng tou” in English. So they named it after the famous kiwi bird from New Zealand.

And boom, that’s why you know kiwi fruit as “kiwis.”

Such a name swap didn’t happen with acai.

Acai has kept its original Brazilian name, which is why us English speakers trip up pronouncing it[3].

Which is a logical segue to our next section.

Why are acai bowls so popular?

The credit of the acai berry being popular outside of Brazil can be attributed to Ryan and Jeremy Black, two brothers from Southern California.

Together with their friend Ed Nichols they realized the acai berry could have a potential gigantic market in the West.

The Black brothers and Nichols came across acai on a trip to Brazil. The locals encouraged them to try it, proclaiming the health benefits of the berry: an energy boost, kickstarted immunity, and detoxification.

They got HOOKED on these things, and from then on, whenever Ryan, Jeremy, and Ed were in Brazil, they would search for an icy acai bowl.

On one such trip, the Black brothers and Nichols discussed how great it would be to enjoy acai back in the States.

Strange fruit from Brazil with antioxidants?

Exotic, healthy, and easy to make grandiose claims about?

CHA-CHING!!!

And that’s why acai bowls can now be found in every city in America with a punny store name.

What’s in an acai bowl? What are some typical acai bowl recipes?

In Brazil, the acai (in the form of frozen pulp) is generally served in a bowl with granola and bananas. Sometimes a fourth ingredient would be used, the Amazonian fruit guarana, which contains more caffeine than coffee.

Simple enough.

How about here in the states? That’s where acai bowls get cray.

You’ll for sure get acai berries, granola, and banana. And maybe guarana. But how about some of the following:

Agave

Apple Juice

Almond Milk

Almond Butter

Blueberries

Coconut

Honey

Mango Juice

Peanut Butter

Pomegranate

Soy Milk

Strawberries

Pick a handful of the above, mix them in a bowl, and BOOM! Acai bowl.

One thing most ingredients listed or referenced have in common, is they are carbohydrate and/or sugar heavy. Some, like agave and honey, are more or less just sugar.

Which brings me to an important and really fun point:

Fact checking the acai bowl hype

There are a lot of health claims associated to the acai berry. Some of which make my eyebrows raise. Others make me nod approvingly. And one or two that make my soul hurt. 

Which is why I’d like to introduce my new favorite Nerd Fitness game, “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”:

CLAIM #1: “There are good antioxidants in acai berries.”

REALITY: True!

Acai berries are indeed high in antioxidants[4]. Which is great, for the reasons we talked about earlier. When people talk about the benefits of the acai berry, it more or less comes down to antioxidants.

I support this claim. Now, I will mention just about any berry you pick (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) is also a great source of antioxidants. But I won’t completely steal the acai berry’s thunder.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #2: “Acai berries are nutrient dense.”

REALITY: Also true!

Acai berries contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries. Plus acai is a great source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. They also contain plenty of minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

Good stuff there. As a proponent of eating REAL food that are nutrient dense, I would throw acai into that category. An acai berry is REAL food.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #3: “Acai berries aid digestion.”

REALITY: eh, sort of.

Fiber aids digestion. And acai skin and pulp contain fiber. So acai aids digestion?

Sure, that’s true. But it’s not the complete picture. All sort of things contain fiber, like every other berry you’ve ever heard of. Plus, some food like carrots, are more much fibrous than the acai berry.

There is no special acai ingredient to improve digestion. If fiber is what you’re after, an acai berry isn’t a bad decision. But it’s not the single best option.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #4: “Acai has anti-aging powers.”

REALITY: Bollocks! Hogwash!

Antioxidants are a good thing, because keeping your cells healthy and clear of free radicals is important. But are your wrinkles going to smooth out with the help of a berry? Or really, anything shy of botox? Don’t buy into this.

Acai have no special anti-aging magic. If the claim is antioxidants reverse aging, sure, in that they keep cells healthy. But not in the “I’m going to reverse time” way.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #5: “Acai will improve libido.”

REALITY: Poppycock!

Will eating nutritiously lead to improved health? Which will improve how your body functions? Which could include libido? Sure.

Is there a berry out there that will make you awesome in the bedroom? No.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #6: “Acai berries help weight loss.”

REALITY: False.

“Acai is a nutrient-rich source of antioxidants, much like many other fruits, but there is nothing magical about the fruit to cause weight loss.” Thank you David Grotto, RD[5].

Promises like better health, improved libido, and weight loss sell well. That’s why you’ll come across them. But as the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Naturally, the idea that a berry will make you lose weight is silly. It depends on what else you are consuming, and in what quantities, in addition to the acai berry. I’m going to cover this more extensively below.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

Can I lose weight eating acai bowls?

Maybe!

It truly depends on how you used to eat and what else you eat every day.

To help paint this picture, let’s talk about the carbohydrates and sugars in an acai bowl.

Let’s start with the traditional acai bowl: acai puree, granola, and some banana. That will run about 355 calories, including 50 grams of carbohydrates, with 18 grams of those being sugar.

For comparison, the average bagel from a deli will have about 350 calories and 50 grams of carbs.

And that’s just a traditional bowl: what about the Americanized versions?

Acai puree often has sugar added to it, since the acai berry itself isn’t too sweet. Plus, an acai place might also pour things like honey and agave into the bowl. And don’t forget fruit contains quite a bit of sugar.

When you add it all up, it becomes a lot.

Let’s analyze the 12 oz. Acai Berry Bowl from “Juice It Up”: acai puree, a strawberry juice blend, actual strawberries, blueberries, and guarana. This rakes up:

340 calories

66 grams of carbohydrates

60 grams of sugar (more than a can of Coke!)

If you called this meal a “carb bomb” or “sugar bomb,” I wouldn’t disagree with you. And none of this factors in additional toppings like coconut flakes or granola.

You can see how all of this adds up quickly. Acai bowls with over 90 grams of sugar are not unheard of.

That’s why I cringe when I read the Huffington Post’s article that acai bowls are the world’s healthiest breakfast[6]. I have no problem if you eat an acai bowl for breakfast.

But don’t let the good attributes of a South American berry distract you. Carbs, calories, and sugar don’t count less just because there are antioxidants present.

Eating a pile of pureed carbs, topped with carbs, and sprinkled with carbs, might be only a slightly better decision than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

All of this to say: be smart and learn about what you’re eating! Know the caloric, carbohydrate and sugar makeup of the food you eat, even if it’s “super.”

What’s a better plan for breakfast?

If you are going to eat breakfast, shift your focus from a pile of carbs to something loaded with protein and healthy fat. It’ll help fill you up in a more calorically-efficient manner, provide your muscles with rebuilding fuel, and not spike your insulin levels like sugar/carbs can do[7].

Eggs are a breakfast staple that Team Nerd Fitness wholly endorses. You can read our five favorite quick recipes here.

If you need some other examples for meal ideas, check out our post on 10 meals that can be made in 10 minutes.

But that’s only if you actually want to eat breakfast. You can also…

SKIP BREAKFAST. Some people forgo breakfast all together! Like me. It’s called intermittent fasting. It lets you make one less meal decision for the day, you’re less likely to overeat in a day, and it can help manage your insulin levels.

So start with protein in the morning. Or skip breakfast. But personally I wouldn’t start with a bucket of sugar in puree form if I was trying to lose weight.

Bummed out that your superfood breakfast isn’t that super? I hear ya. There’s nothing worse than TRYING to be healthy and discovering the food you thought was helping you lose weight is actually making things worse! Crap. Fun fact: I used to eat tons of granola bars and thought they were healthy (nope, carb and sugar bombs – might as well have been a Snickers!)

So whether it’s making sense of healthy breakfasts, learning how to eat better the rest of the day, or even just having an accountability partner to check in with, Nerd Fitness has helped thousands.

If you are looking for a personal coach that will help you stay accountable without judgement, help guide you to make better food choices, and get you results results that stick, check out our uber popular 1-on-1 online coaching program!

It’s kind of like having Yoda in your pocket (through your phone, not the Force…yet).

If this sounds like something that could help you, schedule a free call! You can talk to our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other! Click the image below to schedule now.

Be wary of anything called a superfood!

If you ever read anything about a “superfood,” let this act as a public service announcement.

Be skeptical. Marketers love this term because it’s not defined, regulated, or provable. Meaning it can be used at whim to sell whatever to desperate folks trying to lose weight with zero repercussions

BOOOOO!

The acai is a well hyped piece of fruit thanks to a serious marketing engine and lots of money at stake.

Like most berries, it has good antioxidants and nutrients. Good stuff.

And If you like the taste and want to treat yo self? Occasionally, hell yeah.

Should you eat one everyday for breakfast? Especially smothered in granola, drizzled with honey, and topped with more carbs/sugar?

There’s likely a better option if you’re not seeing success and losing weight. Here’s our advice on healthy eating for weight loss.

Don’t let headlines and hype distract you from what’s really going on. Tons of calories and sugar in the AM is a bad strategy if you’re trying to lose weight.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on acai? Or does this berry deserve to have some of its hype squashed. Let me know in the comments.

Also, do you have any other “superfoods” you want us to take on in future “Liar,..

https://ift.tt/2IheGXm

[albertcaldwellne]

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first!

These days, Acai bowls are the hottest thing on the streets.

It’s been called “the healthiest breakfast on the planet” by some news outlets.

The hype machine is operating at full capacity for this South American berry. It’s a superfood that will help you lose weight, extend your lifespan, and help defend your body against aging!

Are these claims true?

Clearly the people marketing acai berries and bowls don’t care – as long as they can hype the crap out of it, there’s money to be made.

Hell, I walked down the street the other day and saw a place named “Acai Ya Later.”

If you’ve been reading Nerd Fitness for a while, it’s no secret I’m a fan of a well done pun, even if they need to mispronounce “acai” to make it work.

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of bogus health claims, even if there are puns involved!

So today I’m gonna dig into the facts about acai berries, acai bowls, and eternal life from fruit.

No hype.

No acai supplement to sell you. No “superfood” claims.

Just the truth. And funny gifs. Always gifs.

What is an acai berry?

The acai berry is the small purple fruit found on the acai palm.

They come from Brazil and other northern regions of South America. 80% of the berry is actually the seed, which for the most part people don’t eat.

This leaves only about 20% for the flesh and skin of the berry, the stuff people generally do eat.

Why should you care about acai?

Generally, the answer lies in the word “antioxidants”.

I know, “Why the hell do I care about antioxidants?”

Great question.

Antioxidants are substances that fight a process called oxidation.

When your body interacts with too much sunlight, toxins in smoke, air pollution, alcohol, and other challenges, it can create “free radicals,” AKA molecules with an unpaired electron.

And these molecules? They are single and ready to mingle. So when they collide with an electron that’s already paired, they more or less steal it.

Rude.

This molecule then has to steal another electron, and the process continues. You can see how this could get out of hand. While some free radicals are normal, too many in our bodies can indeed lead to cancer [2].

Note that “Free Radicals” are different from “the New Radicals,” a one-hit wonder:

Which brings me back to antioxidants.

Depending on the particular molecule, antioxidants either provide the free radical with an extra electron, or break it down altogether.

The point: antioxidants neutralize free radicals, making them harmless.

That’s why antioxidants are important.

In our quest to get to the bottom of the hype on acai, antioxidants will prove critical. But I want to address an even more important point before we get there.

How do you pronounce “acai”?

We need to talk about how you actually pronounce “acai?” I’ve seen it make all sorts of people tongue tied.

And you want to sound important and all-knowing at your next cocktail party, right?

It’s “”ah-sigh-ee.” Like this:

Often times, when exotic fruit is brought to the West, it’s name is changed so it’s easier to pronounce.

Story time: This happened with the fruit “kiwi,” actually called “Yang-tao” in China. But marketers banked on “kiwi” being easier to say than Yang-tao, pronounced “yahng tou” in English. So they named it after the famous kiwi bird from New Zealand.

And boom, that’s why you know kiwi fruit as “kiwis.”

Such a name swap didn’t happen with acai.

Acai has kept its original Brazilian name, which is why us English speakers trip up pronouncing it[3].

Which is a logical segue to our next section.

Why are acai bowls so popular?

The credit of the acai berry being popular outside of Brazil can be attributed to Ryan and Jeremy Black, two brothers from Southern California.

Together with their friend Ed Nichols they realized the acai berry could have a potential gigantic market in the West.

The Black brothers and Nichols came across acai on a trip to Brazil. The locals encouraged them to try it, proclaiming the health benefits of the berry: an energy boost, kickstarted immunity, and detoxification.

They got HOOKED on these things, and from then on, whenever Ryan, Jeremy, and Ed were in Brazil, they would search for an icy acai bowl.

On one such trip, the Black brothers and Nichols discussed how great it would be to enjoy acai back in the States.

Strange fruit from Brazil with antioxidants?

Exotic, healthy, and easy to make grandiose claims about?

CHA-CHING!!!

And that’s why acai bowls can now be found in every city in America with a punny store name.

What’s in an acai bowl? What are some typical acai bowl recipes?

In Brazil, the acai (in the form of frozen pulp) is generally served in a bowl with granola and bananas. Sometimes a fourth ingredient would be used, the Amazonian fruit guarana, which contains more caffeine than coffee.

Simple enough.

How about here in the states? That’s where acai bowls get cray.

You’ll for sure get acai berries, granola, and banana. And maybe guarana. But how about some of the following:

Agave

Apple Juice

Almond Milk

Almond Butter

Blueberries

Coconut

Honey

Mango Juice

Peanut Butter

Pomegranate

Soy Milk

Strawberries

Pick a handful of the above, mix them in a bowl, and BOOM! Acai bowl.

One thing most ingredients listed or referenced have in common, is they are carbohydrate and/or sugar heavy. Some, like agave and honey, are more or less just sugar.

Which brings me to an important and really fun point:

Fact checking the acai bowl hype

There are a lot of health claims associated to the acai berry. Some of which make my eyebrows raise. Others make me nod approvingly. And one or two that make my soul hurt. 

Which is why I’d like to introduce my new favorite Nerd Fitness game, “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”:

CLAIM #1: “There are good antioxidants in acai berries.”

REALITY: True!

Acai berries are indeed high in antioxidants[4]. Which is great, for the reasons we talked about earlier. When people talk about the benefits of the acai berry, it more or less comes down to antioxidants.

I support this claim. Now, I will mention just about any berry you pick (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) is also a great source of antioxidants. But I won’t completely steal the acai berry’s thunder.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #2: “Acai berries are nutrient dense.”

REALITY: Also true!

Acai berries contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries. Plus acai is a great source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. They also contain plenty of minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

Good stuff there. As a proponent of eating REAL food that are nutrient dense, I would throw acai into that category. An acai berry is REAL food.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #3: “Acai berries aid digestion.”

REALITY: eh, sort of.

Fiber aids digestion. And acai skin and pulp contain fiber. So acai aids digestion?

Sure, that’s true. But it’s not the complete picture. All sort of things contain fiber, like every other berry you’ve ever heard of. Plus, some food like carrots, are more much fibrous than the acai berry.

There is no special acai ingredient to improve digestion. If fiber is what you’re after, an acai berry isn’t a bad decision. But it’s not the single best option.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #4: “Acai has anti-aging powers.”

REALITY: Bollocks! Hogwash!

Antioxidants are a good thing, because keeping your cells healthy and clear of free radicals is important. But are your wrinkles going to smooth out with the help of a berry? Or really, anything shy of botox? Don’t buy into this.

Acai have no special anti-aging magic. If the claim is antioxidants reverse aging, sure, in that they keep cells healthy. But not in the “I’m going to reverse time” way.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #5: “Acai will improve libido.”

REALITY: Poppycock!

Will eating nutritiously lead to improved health? Which will improve how your body functions? Which could include libido? Sure.

Is there a berry out there that will make you awesome in the bedroom? No.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #6: “Acai berries help weight loss.”

REALITY: False.

“Acai is a nutrient-rich source of antioxidants, much like many other fruits, but there is nothing magical about the fruit to cause weight loss.” Thank you David Grotto, RD[5].

Promises like better health, improved libido, and weight loss sell well. That’s why you’ll come across them. But as the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Naturally, the idea that a berry will make you lose weight is silly. It depends on what else you are consuming, and in what quantities, in addition to the acai berry. I’m going to cover this more extensively below.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

Can I lose weight eating acai bowls?

Maybe!

It truly depends on how you used to eat and what else you eat every day.

To help paint this picture, let’s talk about the carbohydrates and sugars in an acai bowl.

Let’s start with the traditional acai bowl: acai puree, granola, and some banana. That will run about 355 calories, including 50 grams of carbohydrates, with 18 grams of those being sugar.

For comparison, the average bagel from a deli will have about 350 calories and 50 grams of carbs.

And that’s just a traditional bowl: what about the Americanized versions?

Acai puree often has sugar added to it, since the acai berry itself isn’t too sweet. Plus, an acai place might also pour things like honey and agave into the bowl. And don’t forget fruit contains quite a bit of sugar.

When you add it all up, it becomes a lot.

Let’s analyze the 12 oz. Acai Berry Bowl from “Juice It Up”: acai puree, a strawberry juice blend, actual strawberries, blueberries, and guarana. This rakes up:

340 calories

66 grams of carbohydrates

60 grams of sugar (more than a can of Coke!)

If you called this meal a “carb bomb” or “sugar bomb,” I wouldn’t disagree with you. And none of this factors in additional toppings like coconut flakes or granola.

You can see how all of this adds up quickly. Acai bowls with over 90 grams of sugar are not unheard of.

That’s why I cringe when I read the Huffington Post’s article that acai bowls are the world’s healthiest breakfast[6]. I have no problem if you eat an acai bowl for breakfast.

But don’t let the good attributes of a South American berry distract you. Carbs, calories, and sugar don’t count less just because there are antioxidants present.

Eating a pile of pureed carbs, topped with carbs, and sprinkled with carbs, might be only a slightly better decision than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

All of this to say: be smart and learn about what you’re eating! Know the caloric, carbohydrate and sugar makeup of the food you eat, even if it’s “super.”

What’s a better plan for breakfast?

If you are going to eat breakfast, shift your focus from a pile of carbs to something loaded with protein and healthy fat. It’ll help fill you up in a more calorically-efficient manner, provide your muscles with rebuilding fuel, and not spike your insulin levels like sugar/carbs can do[7].

Eggs are a breakfast staple that Team Nerd Fitness wholly endorses. You can read our five favorite quick recipes here.

If you need some other examples for meal ideas, check out our post on 10 meals that can be made in 10 minutes.

But that’s only if you actually want to eat breakfast. You can also…

SKIP BREAKFAST. Some people forgo breakfast all together! Like me. It’s called intermittent fasting. It lets you make one less meal decision for the day, you’re less likely to overeat in a day, and it can help manage your insulin levels.

So start with protein in the morning. Or skip breakfast. But personally I wouldn’t start with a bucket of sugar in puree form if I was trying to lose weight.

Bummed out that your superfood breakfast isn’t that super? I hear ya. There’s nothing worse than TRYING to be healthy and discovering the food you thought was helping you lose weight is actually making things worse! Crap. Fun fact: I used to eat tons of granola bars and thought they were healthy (nope, carb and sugar bombs – might as well have been a Snickers!)

So whether it’s making sense of healthy breakfasts, learning how to eat better the rest of the day, or even just having an accountability partner to check in with, Nerd Fitness has helped thousands.

If you are looking for a personal coach that will help you stay accountable without judgement, help guide you to make better food choices, and get you results results that stick, check out our uber popular 1-on-1 online coaching program!

It’s kind of like having Yoda in your pocket (through your phone, not the Force…yet).

If this sounds like something that could help you, schedule a free call! You can talk to our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other! Click the image below to schedule now.

Be wary of anything called a superfood!

If you ever read anything about a “superfood,” let this act as a public service announcement.

Be skeptical. Marketers love this term because it’s not defined, regulated, or provable. Meaning it can be used at whim to sell whatever to desperate folks trying to lose weight with zero repercussions

BOOOOO!

The acai is a well hyped piece of fruit thanks to a serious marketing engine and lots of money at stake.

Like most berries, it has good antioxidants and nutrients. Good stuff.

And If you like the taste and want to treat yo self? Occasionally, hell yeah.

Should you eat one everyday for breakfast? Especially smothered in granola, drizzled with honey, and topped with more carbs/sugar?

There’s likely a better option if you’re not seeing success and losing weight. Here’s our advice on healthy eating for weight loss.

Don’t let headlines and hype distract you from what’s really going on. Tons of calories and sugar in the AM is a bad strategy if you’re trying to lose weight.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on acai? Or does this berry deserve to have some of its hype squashed. Let me know in the comments.

Also, do you have any other “superfoods” you want us to take on in future “Liar,..

https://ift.tt/2IheGXm

[rationalsanskar]

Mindfulness for Moms With Ziva Meditation | Wellness Mama Podcast

Child: Welcome to my Mommy’s podcast.

This episode is brought to you by Beekeepers Naturals – superfood products from the hive that help support your family’s health. Right now, their Propolis has been a lifesaver with all of the sniffles and coughs going around where we live. If you’re not familiar with it, Propolis is a resinous mixture that bees make in the hive and contains over 300 compounds including polyphenols and compounds that are antibacterial and a compound called pinocembrin that acts as an antifungal. Some studies have shown that propolis can speed wound healing. It’s natural antibacterial and antifungal properties also make it great for fighting the sniffles. At first sign of any sniffles, sore throat or coughing, I spray propolis in the throat and it almost always helps us bounce back quickly. I also use propolis before flying to avoid picking up anything on the plane. You can save 15% on propolis and all beekeepers naturals products at beekeepersnaturals.com/wellnessmama with the code wellnessmama

This podcast is brought to you by Wellnesse… a new company I co-founded to tackle the toughest personal care products and create natural and safe products that work as well as conventional alternatives. I realized that even the most natural of my friends still used conventional toothpaste and shampoo because they weren’t willing to sacrifice quality. There are natural options and ones that work, but to find products that do both was almost impossible. We tackled the toughest first, creating the first and only natural toothpaste that is fluoride and glycerin free, and that has calcium and hydroxyapatite to uniquely support the mineral balance in the mouth. It also contains neem oil and green tea to support a healthy bacterial balance in the mouth and fight bad breath. Be the first to try it and our innovative natural hair care at wellnesse.com

Katie: Hello and welcome to the Wellness Mama Podcast. I’m Katie with wellnessmama.com and I’m here with Emily Fletcher, who is the founder of Ziva Meditation and world renown expert on meditation as a path to extraordinary performance. Her book, “Stress Less, Accomplish More” is a must read and one of the best books out there if you are looking to detox emotionally and mentally. She has taught more than 20,000 students around the world, including leaders at Apple, Google and Harvard Business school. And she’s also helped this very Type-A Mom to learn how to meditate as well. And I love how her approach is that we meditate not to get better at meditation, but to get better at life. And we talk about that and so much more today and I know that you will enjoy this episode as much as I did. Without further ado, let’s join Emily.

Emily, welcome. Thanks for being here.

Emily: What a joy to get to be here. Thank you for having me.

Katie: I am so excited to chat with you. I first met you or knew of you at an event a couple of years ago when you spoke, and one of the things that you said that really resonated with me was that we meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation. And that’s when I started paying attention to you actually because I had never been great at meditating and the idea of, like, clearing my mind was not something that was ever gonna happen to me. And so I think, like, when you said that, I started listening to what you were saying and realized you had this whole different approach. So, I wanted to start there. Why is that such an important distinction when we start talking about meditation?

Emily: Because so many people are exactly like you in that they’ve tried meditation. They felt like a failure because they couldn’t clear their mind. They assume that it’s just not for them, and then they potentially rob themselves of a lifetime of more productivity, more energy, more happiness because they’re judging themselves based on misinformation. So many people are trying to clear their mind because some yoga teacher somewhere said, “Just let your thoughts go.” And so, it’s we have a world full of ex-meditators when this doesn’t have to be the case because the point is not to clear the mind. The point really is to be happier, to have more energy, to have better sleep, to have a better immune system, and to be kinder with your kids. Like, that’s why we do this stuff. No one cares if you’re good at meditation.

Katie: Yeah, that’s I think such an important point. Most of us are not trying to reach, like, monk level of, you know, meditation in our daily lives. We want it to be practical, and that makes so much sense when you explain it. I feel like meditation has had such a time in the sun that most people probably are really familiar with it. But I also feel like there’s a lot of misconceptions. So, to get really basic for a second, walk us through what actually is the definition of meditation. What does that mean?

Emily: So, the simplest definition would be a stress-relieving tool, but that definition I think is too vague because if that’s your only criteria, then so is a bottle of wine, so is bingeing on Netflix, you know, so is smoking pot. And it’s funny. When I tell people I’m a meditation teacher, they’re like, “Oh, cool, exercise is my meditation,” or, “Cooking is my meditation.” I’m like, “Y’all cooking is called cooking, and exercise is called exercise, and meditation is called meditation. That’s why they have their own words.” So, I think a stress-relieving tool is not quite specific enough. Now, what we teach at Ziva, which is the name of my company, we teach a type of meditation that’s giving your body rest that’s five times deeper than sleep, and I’m gonna say that again because I think especially for moms, that’s a really exciting factor. This style of meditation is giving your body rest that is five times deeper than sleep.

So, it’s kind of like a supercharged power nap that you can do in 15 minutes without the sleep hangover, but on the other side, you’re even more awake. And the other really important point here is that in this style of meditation, you’re not only handling your stress from today, you’re also going in and healing all your stress from the past. And this is really important because most of what people are calling meditation, meaning most of the free apps out there, most of the guided things on YouTube, most of the drop-in studios, are actually teaching what I would call mindfulness. And mindfulness and meditation are oftentimes being used as synonyms, but they are not the same thing. And so, the big distinguishing factor between the two is that mindfulness is all about focusing, and it’s very good at dealing with your stress in the now. So, let’s say you have a crazy day with your kids. You go to work. You come home. Your kids are out of control. You’re really stressed. You do 10 minutes of headspace or calm or something. And it handles your stress in the now like a state change, like taking an aspirin if you have a headache.

Now, what I’m teaching at Ziva is not only handling your stress from the now, but it’s also getting rid of all your stress from the past. It’s going in and healing things cellularly, and now we even know it’s healing things on an epigenetic level, which is what we’ve inherited from our parents and what we pass onto our children. And this is big because it’s ultimately eradication of the backlog of stresses that we have in ourselves. If we do that, this is what gives us a return on the time investment. So, for 15 minutes invested in your meditation because you’re getting rid of the stress that you’ve been storing in your body, that stuff that’s making us all stupid, sick, and slow, and you start to have more time in your day because your brain gets faster. Your immune system is stronger. Your creativity is more tuned in. Your intuition is stronger.

And so, this is why I find especially with Ziva that the ROI is just higher. And this is, I think maybe it takes me to the other misconception around meditation is that it’s not… The first is people think they can’t clear their mind, which we can talk about more, but the other is that people think that they’re too busy, and we’re all too busy to waste our time. None of us have time to waste. And if you’re just doing 10 minutes and then getting yourself out of triage, but ultimately not healing the root cause, then I would say that’s not a really great investment of your time. But if you’re going in and not only feeling better in the now but actually handling the very root cause, the cause of the anxiety, the cause of the insomnia, the cause of the overwhelm, then this becomes a very productive and valuable investment of your time.

Katie: That makes sense. And honestly, if I think back even a couple of years ago, I think I would have still been a lot more skeptical of just how dramatically something like that can impact your biology until I had an experience myself actually because I had trauma in high school. And I thought I had dealt with it and I had done all the talk therapy. And I thought I was totally fine. And then I had a type of bodywork combined with just being in a situation that got me out of my comfort zone. And, like, I had this entirely different type of emotional release happen to the point that literally, like, my body shook for an hour. It was like when you see an animal almost get killed, and then they’re fine, and all that adrenaline has to come out.

It was like a decade of adrenaline, just, like, shaking out of my body. And that alone, my body has changed so much in the past few months with my diet, lifestyle, everything staying exactly the same. So, I’m definitely now much more of a believer of just how drastically our mental state and our emotions can really, really impact our physiology, like dramatically impact us. I’m a nerd, though, so I’d love to go a little deeper, and can you explain, like, biochemically and physiologically what’s happening in the body when we meditate? Like what are some of the pathways that we’re activating? Are we going into parasympathetic or what are some of the ways it’s affecting us?

Emily: Yes. Thank you for asking that. And also, thank you for illustrating so beautifully the difference between what I would call a software upgrade and a hardware upgrade. So, you know, not all of us, but a lot of us have done the talk therapy for years, and I would call that a software upgrade. You know, it’s you changing your operating system. It’s changing the lens through which you see the world. But this meditation work and that somatic work or energy work and bodywork, it is oftentimes healing things on a cellular level. It’s changing your nervous system, so it’s giving you a hardware upgrade. It’s like upgrading your computer, and then, ultimately, you can run more elegant software if you have a more advanced computer. And so, at the end of the day, we’re gonna have to do both. We’re going to have to uplevel the hard drive and the software. So, thank you for illustrating that so beautifully.

Okay, so let’s dive down the nerdy science rabbit hole. So, when the body launches into fight or flight, then we go into sympathetic, which is the body is basically preparing for a predatory attack. This comes out of, you know, millions of years of evolution of protecting us from tigers, and lions, and bears. So, let’s say you’re in the woods, and a tiger jumps out at you with the intent to kill. Your body will launch into a series of chemical reactions. The first thing that happens is your digestion will flood with acid because we need to shut down digestion because we can’t waste any of that digestive energy.

We need all that energy to fight or flee the tiger. That same acid will seep onto your skin so that you don’t taste too good if you get bitten into by the tiger. Your bladder and bowels evacuate so you can be light on your feet. Blood thickens and coagulates so that if you get bitten into, you don’t bleed to death. Your vision will narrow. Your immune system goes to the back burner because who cares if you’re going to get cancer if you’re about to be killed by a tiger? Like, again, we need all hands on deck.

So, this series of chemical reactions is very useful if your demands are predatory attacks, but if your daily demands are kids, and in-laws, and deadlines, and school projects, and emails, and traffic, the fight or flight thing has become maladaptive. It’s disallowing us from performing at the top of our game. This backlog of accumulated stresses is making us stupid, sick, and slow as a species. And so, when we start meditating, what happens is we go in, and within 30 to 45 seconds, we de-excite the nervous system, which means that metabolic rate decreases, which doesn’t mean you’re going to gain weight. This is the rate with which the body consumes oxygen.

So, your breathing slows, your heart rate slows, your body temperature cools. And then within less than a minute, your brain is producing dopamine and serotonin, which are alkaline in nature. And they are basically nature’s antidote to cortisol and adrenaline, which are stress hormones and those are acidic by nature. And if you’ve ever studied Ayurvedic medicine, acid equals inflammation. And inflammation we know is the basis of all chronic disease. And so, if we are chronically inflamed, if we’re chronically stressed, then the body is just a little bit too acidic or a little bit too hot.

And so, when we start meditating, not only do we clear out the adrenaline and cortisol, we start flooding the body with dopamine and serotonin, which are alkaline in nature. And this is why, according to Tufts and… I forget the name of the other university, but there’s two universities who have done studies on how meditation can reverse your body age. Tufts says eight years. And I think it’s Wake Forest, actually, says somewhere up to 15 that you can reverse your body age by somewhere between 8 to 15 years with meditation. And there was another study that came out, so just saying that you can reverse your brain age, that the average meditator at 50 has the brain of a 25-year-old.

And this is based on neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and also the strengthening of something called the corpus callosum, which is the thin white strip that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain. So, I mean, this all sounds too good to be true, and people are like, “What do you mean? Meditation can do this, this, this, and this?” But really the question we should be asking is, you know, “How is stress messing so many things up?” Because according to Harvard Medical School, stress is responsible for 90% of all doctor’s visits, and scientists are calling it the black plague of our century. And the cool thing here is that stress is not an incurable illness. We have a cure to it. It’s called meditation. We all just think we’re too busy to meditate.

Katie: Yeah, I think you’re so right about that. And, I mean, you explain it so well, all the neuroscience about meditation and how many benefits that has. And like I said, it’s had its time in the sun. There’s enough really successful people saying it’s a huge part of the reason they’re so successful that I think people are paying attention. But why do you think that so many of us still… Like, I even still am guilty of saying, like, “I can’t… I’m not good at meditating, and I can’t quiet my mind.” Like, why are people still saying that when obviously it’s so important?

Emily: I think people are saying that, “I don’t have time, and I can’t clear my mind,” because of the misconception between mindfulness and meditation. So, you know, like I was saying a moment ago, most of the free “meditation apps” are actually teaching what I would call mindfulness. Anytime someone is guiding you through, like a guided YouTube video or if you go to a drop-in studio and someone is telling you to imagine a waterfall or count your breaths or focus on your chakras, anytime you’re directing your focus, I’m putting that in the category of mindfulness. And mindfulness, like I said, is very good at dealing with your stress in the now, but because it’s not ultimately getting rid of the root cause, because it’s not healing the backlog of stresses from your past, then it’s creating a state change versus meditation is creating a trait change. It’s actually altering yourselves. It’s altering your genes and going after the root cause.

So, what I have found is that with meditation, and specifically with Ziva, the return on time investment is exponential. It’s basically… We’ve done the math. Fifteen minutes twice a day is 2% of your day. So, the question is, are you willing to invest 2% of your day to make the other 98% more effective, more productive, more happy, more present? Versus with mindfulness, while you might feel better in the now, for a lot of people, they report that it’s not giving them that same ROI. They don’t feel more productive later. It’s more of a triage like, “I feel like I’m having an anxiety attack, so let me do this app right now,” or, “I already have insomnia, so let me listen to this guided meditation thing to help me fall asleep.” But we’re ultimately not treating what caused the insomnia to begin with.

And so, I think that this is the timepiece. It’s like whatever time investment you’re making, you need to be getting more time back in your day. I had the good fortune of teaching Dr. Mark Hyman to meditate, who’s the founder of the Functional Medicine Center at the Cleveland Clinic, and I’d say, like, one of the world’s, like, leading doctors and certainly in functional medicine. And he says for the two meditations that he does a day, he gets back about three hours in his day. He’s like, “I have three more hours of productivity, three more hours of fun, three more hours of energy to go out dancing or to be with my wife or my friends.” And that to me is the special sauce because, again, none of us have time to waste.

Now, the clearing of the mind piece. I think people are confusing the results for the technique because if you sit down and meditate, chances are afterwards you are gonna feel more clear. You are gonna be more present. You are gonna be more intuitive. You won’t be so mired with, you know, stress and anxiety. However, just because clarity of mind is a result of meditation, that does not mean that it is the practice of meditation. So, if you sit down and close your eyes and try to clear the mind, you’re always gonna feel like you’re failing because the mind thinks involuntarily, just like the heart beats involuntarily. So, trying to give your brain a command to shut up is as impactful as trying to give your heart a command to stop beating. It does not work. And yet this is what everybody is trying to do, and this is why everybody thinks it’s hard because we’re judging ourselves based on an impossible criteria.

And this is because a lot of the mindfulness practices that people are adopting are derivations of things that were originally made for monks. Like even if you think about Headspace, Andy was a monk. You know, the biggest personal brand on Facebook, Jay Shetty, was a monk. And so, mindfulness… We almost fetishize monks a little bit in the West, and we think, “Well, whatever monks are doing must be more powerful. They must be vibrating or levitating.” But it’s the other way around. If you have a job, and kids, and stuff to do, then you have less time in your day with which to meditate. So, you actually need a practice that is more powerful. You need a practice that you can go in, do, and then come out with more energy on the other side. And so, the meditation portion of the Ziva technique is based on something that’s 6,000 years old, but it was made for people like us. It was made for people with busy minds and busy lives. So, it’s just you go in, you get out. It’s not about meditating all day, which is what monks are doing. That is their contribution to society. They can afford to do something that’s a little bit gentler.

Katie: That makes perfect sense. And I know Dr. Hyman as well, and that’s really drastic. I had not heard him say that. That’s amazing that he feels like he gets that big of a return for meditating. And it reminds me a little bit of that quote. I believe maybe it was Saint Francis or somebody who said it, like, “Pray for half an hour a day unless you’re too busy and then pray for an hour a day.” Like, the people who are the most busy are the ones that most need this. On the nerdy note for a second again, I’m curious. Are there any studies or any data that you’ve seen between a regular meditation practice like this and changes in heart rate variability? Because I’ve been tracking that just as a pet project lately, and I’m curious if there’s anything that shows data on that.

Emily: Yes. And so, people will put the heart rate variability training… They’ll even call that meditation, which I think that that is really valuable and a great thing to do, but it’s much more active. And whereas Ziva is kind of, like, the lazy man’s meditation, it’s more like taking a nap sitting up. But ultimately, what we’re doing with Ziva is that we’re getting rid of the stress in the body. And so, when you’re not meditating, you’re not as stressed, you’re just at a normal homeostasis. And the whole gig with heart rate variability, the reason why we want ourselves to be more variable, is so that if a tiger comes, you’re ready to launch into fight or flight. If it’s time to go to sleep, you can down-regulate. You can go to sleep really quickly.

It’s like we want to be variable. We want to be adaptive to whatever the circumstances of life are calling upon, and that’s the whole point of meditation. You’re increasing your ability to adapt versus someone who is chronically stressed, who has chronic amounts of cortisol and adrenaline, and their heart rate is very, very high all the time, that person can’t down-regulate when it’s appropriate. That person sometimes can’t up-regulate when it’s appropriate because at some point their adrenals get shot and their adrenaline… Like, it’s almost, like, it expires because you’re always on guard even when it’s not appropriate. So, let’s say you got into a car accident. And if your adrenals are already shot, your body is not able to produce the appropriate amount of adrenaline when it needs it. So, we want to be variable. You know, we want to be able to up-regulate, down-regulate, and the less stress you have in your body, the easier it is for you to do that.

Katie: That makes sense. And as you are saying this, I’m also thinking, as a mom, my life would be tremendously easier if my kids also had the ability to do this. I know that you have a child, as well. I’m curious, is this something that can be integrated as a formula or that we can encourage our children to do that also will have benefits for them? Because I’ve heard so many adults who we learned this as adults after we were already stressed and burned out and everything else. Can we teach this to our kids from early ages and give them a foundation so hopefully they never have to do that?

Emily: Yes. And this is something I feel really passionate about, especially as a new mom myself. My son is only 15 months old, but even with him at night… You know, he’s still nursing, and so at night right when we turn the lights out, I mean, you know, cozy up. And assume… Our ritual now is that as soon as he starts nursing, I started taking some really deep breaths and I do it in an audible way. And then he mimics me, you know, so I’ll go (breathe in, breathe out) and then it’s almost like a game. And then he does his breath and then I do my breath and he does his breath. And he’s smiling while he’s doing it because I think it feels good for him, but it’s also a fun little game that we’re playing. And he can’t even talk yet. And so, I think the earlier we can introduce these tools, the better. And children are always learning by your example, not what you say. They’re gonna do what we do. They’re not gonna do what we say. And so, if you’re running around overwhelmed, stressed, not sleeping, living your life as a martyr, you know, always in overwhelm, always feeling behind schedule, they’re gonna see that and mirror that and it’s ultimately gonna stress them out.

I have people come to me all the time asking for a kid’s meditation training, and the first question I ask is, “Are you meditating?” And they’re like, “No, I don’t have time, but I want my kids to do it.” And it’s like, “Honey, guess what? Your stress is influencing your kid’s stress.” And so, the really exciting news here is that our big project for 2020 is where we’re launching Ziva Kids. And I’m so excited about we’re about to go into development for it. And it’s ultimately gonna be about 80% teaching the parents, and then 20% is gonna be modules for the kids based on how old they are and what they’re dealing with, which I’m thrilled about. But don’t wait for that. Don’t wait for me. I think that you can start introducing these tools and techniques to your kids soon.

But I really think that step one is you have to develop your own practice because you have to understand what it’s like yourself to be able to help guide your kids through it. Because any meditation practice worth its salt is usually gonna create some form of a detoxification. And this is something that no one is talking about, no one is warning anyone, about because we think, “Oh, when I start meditating, I should just be vibrating on a cloud of bliss, and I’ll never be sad again.” So that’s not how it works. You’re still a human. You still have feelings. And in the beginning, because most of us have all that stuff stored in our body, there’s a period of, like, physical and emotional release. And so, people can be very sad, and very anxious, and very angry, and very tired for the first few days and sometimes even weeks. And so, again, I think it’s important that the parent experiences that and knows how to get through it before helping their kids through it.

Now, obviously, kids, hopefully, don’t have as much stored stress as we do, but there still can be some even for kids because they’re so tapped into the collective. So, the answer is yes, and I can say mindfulness is a great thing to start kids on. And you could do breathwork. You could do even a few gentle yoga poses. You could have them imagine, you know, their favorite place. It’s any tools you can have to start bringing their attention inward to teach them that healing can happen on the inside, that when they’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or angry, that they can actually go inside and start to change their state internally, I think these are really valuable tools to share with our kids early on.

And I do… A lot of my training when I teach adults is that I tell them how to talk to their kids about it because a lot of people will use the excuse, “Well, I can’t meditate because I have kids.” And, you know, I just launched a book and a baby in the same year, and so it is possible and I was nursing every three hours the whole time. So, it’s intense, but it is possible. You just have to be strategic, and you have to make it a non-negotiable priority, and you can’t let perfect be the enemy of good. But I think that… My joke that I say to parents is, “Tell your kids that you’re training to be a Jedi.” They’re like, “Mommy is training to be a Jedi right now, so don’t interrupt me,” or, “If there’s bones or blood, then please interrupt mommy’s meditation. And if there’s no bones or no blood, then it can wait for 15 minutes.”

Katie: I love that. And yeah, I love that, “Mommy is training to be a Jedi.” That’s a great one. Especially, my kids are huge “Star Wars” fans, but I think you nailed it with the best way to teach kids anything because I say that about whether it’s nutrition or lifestyle stuff as well, good luck teaching them unless you’re doing it too. And the inverse of that is if you’re doing it, you really don’t have to do as much to teach them because they’re gonna naturally follow you. And I actually saw this happen in a different realm recently. Like for years, I had always thought like, “Oh, maybe one of my kids will want to take voice lessons, and then I’ll kind of, like, learn while they’re there,” because I had always wanted to take voice lessons. And then finally, I was like, “Wait, why don’t I just do it and not wait for my kids to be interested?” And I did, and now they’re all interested in voice lessons. And so…

Emily: Good for you. That’s awesome.

Katie: It’s terrifying because I had, like, never sang in public, but it’s also amazing. I’m like, “Good, they’re seeing me get out of my comfort zone. They’re seeing me be bad at something first and get better.” Like, those are such important lessons in life, but I think you are so right. Our kids pay so much attention to what we do, and that’s the easiest way to pass on anything. And I could see meditation becoming, like, a really good part of a morning routine as a family, maybe before school or as a bedtime routine. I think it could be a cool just like touchpoint with the family if you’re doing it with them versus just trying to get them to do it. But I want to circle back because you said something I have not heard before when it comes to meditation, and that was about the detox effect. So, explain that a little bit more because I definitely did not know that was a thing.

Emily: So, it’s not dissimilar to how when you had that energetic work of a somatic experience, and then your body started shaking. Like, that’s a very acute dramatic example of it where you did something, it created a level of cellular healing, and then there was a catharsis. There was a release of that trauma that had been in your body for a long time. And so, what’s happening with Ziva is that we’re going in and we’re giving our body this rest that’s five times deeper than sleep. And when you give your body the rest that it needs, it knows how to heal itself. And the cool thing here is it’s not only healing stress from today, but it’s also healing all that stress from our past. And so, even if you’ve done the talk therapy, even if you’ve read the self-help books, that stuff has been stored in your cellular memory, and when you start a meditation practice, it has to come up and out. It has to go somewhere.

And so, oftentimes as the stress is leaving, it can have a bit of the same flavor on the way out as it did on the way in. So, if you have some sadness inside, you might have a little sad-flavored stress coming up and out. If you haven’t slept in 10 years, well, guess what? You might be a little sleepy in the beginning, and this happens a lot with like young women. You know, anger is not really a part of our archetype, and so in the beginning of the first few weeks, sometimes they get very, very angry. And that’s honestly a big part of my job. And I think it’s why it’s important that you do have a meditation teacher because that’s when my job is a job in that I’ve been through it myself and I’ve helped over 20,000 people through it.

So, I see some patterns, you know, and it doesn’t scare me, versus if you just start meditating and you think it’s all sunshine and roses and you should never have a feeling again, and then suddenly you’re being confronted by the entirety of your life’s trauma with no guidance, no warning, and no support through that, that’s another reason why a lot of people quit. Now, they just tell themselves they’re too busy, but in reality, they don’t want to feel that because we’ve got billions of dollars of industry. Those don’t help in ensuring that we never have to feel our feelings. And now the meditation goes in and wrings you out. It makes the feeling non-negotiable. And so, I think it’s really important you have a community, that you have the intellectual framework and understanding of what’s happening, and you have the proper support through that so that you can get through to the other side and reap the rewards.

Katie: That makes sense. And it’s good to know, you know, if you’re starting this, and you’re new to make sure that you’re supporting your body through that and you have a practice of, you know, being prepared for that detox and making sure you’re getting enough rest and that you’re being supported through that. You’ve mentioned… Well, before we move to your book, I was gonna say there is a link to the Ziva technique in the show notes at wellnessmama.fm. So, if any of you guys are running or driving, don’t worry about writing it down, but do check out the show notes so you can learn more about it. But you also mentioned your book a couple of times. I would love to hear what was the impetus for the book and walk us through what the book does.

Emily: Sure. This book is called “Stress Less, Accomplish More,” and the subtitle is “Meditation for Extraordinary Performance,” which goes back to the first concept we talked about, which is that we meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation. And really the promise is in the title. What I’m promising you is that if you do this, you’re gonna stress less, and you’ll be able to accomplish more because stress is wasting our time and energy. And in the book, what I do is that there’s… It’s really broken into three parts. The first third is what I call the selfish reasons that we come to meditation. So, there’s a whole chapter on the science behind why it can help you have better sex. There’s a whole chapter on why it can reverse your body age. There’s a chapter on why it can improve your immune function. There’s a chapter on why it can increase your performance and productivity.

And then there’s also… I don’t know how many folks in here are dealing with fertility stuff, but we have crazy case studies around fertility. Like, that just was a bit of a surprise benefit for me. And then also jet lag. So, the first seven chapters are the selfish reasons that people come to meditation. And then, in part two, I teach a gentle version of the Ziva technique. It’s a bit gentler for the reason that I just said in that, you know, we’ve had over 42,000 people buy the book so far. And there’s only one of me, and I do think it’s important that you have the proper guidance. And so, anyone who buys the book can join our Facebook group. It’s called the Ziva Tribe. So, there is some level of support. I’m in there. My other teachers are in there. The guides are in there. But it’s still not super-specialized in a super-personalized guidance, so I made the book technique a little bit gentler than what people can learn online or in person. So, that’s part two of the book.

And then the third part of the book is we pull the lens way out, and we start to look at the ripple effect. It’s like, “Okay, well, how does you selfishly improving yourself, how does this impact your kids? How does this impact your relationship? How does it impact your coworkers, your town, your community, and then ultimately humanity itself?” Because at the end of the day, as we heal ourselves, we help to heal the collective. If we have 8 billion stressed out people, what do we think this world is going to look and feel like? If we have 8 billion people meditating every day, you know, what kind of ingenuity, what type of creativity, what type of generosity do you think we’re dealing with collectively at that point?

Katie: I love that. Definitely, I’ll make sure there’s a link to that as well in the show notes. You guys can check it out. I’m really curious. I will definitely check out the book to find out the full reason, but how can meditation help with sex? Because I hear from a lot of moms, especially new moms, who struggle with that, with changes in their sex life or libido after having kids. So, what are some of the ways it works there?

Emily: Yes. So, I think that, you know, postpartum and post-labor is its own thing. So, this is not like I never want to add to anyone’s pressure to feel like the sexiest woman alive and to have sex every day. It’s certainly not through postpartum, which is, decidedly, at least for my experience, was not that sexy. My postpartum was pretty intense. However, I think that the big reasons why people aren’t having as much sex as they would like are, one, that they’re too tired. And I think it’s 40% of cohabitating adults in America say that the number one reason they don’t have as much sex as they would like to is they’re too tired. And so, if you think about it very simply, if Ziva is giving your body rest that’s five times deeper than sleep, then for a 15-minute meditation it’s equivalent to an hour-long nap. Now, imagine if you can take an hour-long nap at 5:00, you might be a little nicer to your kids at dinner and bath time, and you may even have a little gas left in the tank after bedtime to go and have sex with your partner versus just being exhausted and spent.

Now, the other thing is that stress, if we go back to that tiger attack, and if we look at all of the things that happen in the body when we’re in that fight or flight state, if your body thinks it’s preparing for a tiger attack, the last thing it’s interested in is procreation. All it’s interested in is saving this meat suit. You know, it wants to protect this body. The last thing it’s worried about is making a new body that thinks it’s under attack. So, we have to get out of that fight or flight and get into what I call stay and play. And then once we’re there, once we’re in that parasympathetic, then all of the endocrine functions, the hormonal functions, all of that stuff starts to even out. And then that’s to say nothing of healing the sexual trauma that a lot of people have. You know, I think it’s something crazy like three in five women go through some form of sexual abuse or sexual trauma, and that plays into our relationships. And so, if the meditation can go in and start to heal that as well, I think that it allows you to be more present with your partner versus bringing a lifetime of baggage into your relationship.

Katie: That makes sense. And you’ve used the phrase several times about meditation being five times deeper than sleep. I’d love if we could elaborate on that a little bit more because I think most people kind of use sleep as the gold standard. And so, I’m curious, like what is it doing in the brain differently than sleep? And what are the changes people see in their sleep over time if they make this type of meditation a daily habit?

Emily: Great question. So, to be honest, that statement of that it’s five times deeper than sleep is not 100% accurate because it’s a different type of rest. I just haven’t figured out an easy way to say this in a nutshell, but I’m glad you asked to elaborate on it. So, when we go to sleep at night… And, of course, sleep is considered the gold standard if that is the most restful form of rest that you have, but it’s like, “Well, what if there was this other type of rest?” And so, in sleep, our brain is chilling, but the body actually has to be on guard. And this goes back to the same saber-tooth tiger. It goes back to the same protecting us from predators. So, let’s say it’s 10,000 years ago. You’re in your cave. It’s bedtime. If you ever watched someone as they’re falling asleep or if you watch your kids as they’re falling asleep, in the beginning, breathing is normal. But when the brain clicks into sleep, your breathing changes, and suddenly it’s (snoring). You start revving quite high, breathing quite deeply because you need your heart and lungs and blood to be oxygenated so that if that tiger comes in, by the time you wake up mentally, your body is oxygenated and prepared to launch into fight or flight.

Now, the exact opposite is happening in Ziva. In Ziva, your body is getting this deep rest, meaning that metabolic rate decreases, so this means your breathing is going to slow precipitously. Your heart rate slows. Your body temperature cools. Now here’s the trick. Nature will not let you rest that deeply physically and be in blackout sleep mentally at the same time because, at that point, you’re in evolutionary liability. If that tiger comes in and by the time you wake up out of blackout sleep and then your breathing speeds up, in order to launch into fight or flight, you would be tiger sacks. So, one or the other has to be on guard. When we’re sleeping, the brain is chilling, the body is on guard. When we’re meditating, the body is chilling, the brain is on guard. So, it’s almost the opposite of everything you’ve heard about meditation. People think you should be like in a deaf, dumb, and blind chamber of nothingness, but you���re actually very mentally alert during meditation. And it is that mental alertness that allows your body to get such deep healing rest, and it’s that deep healing rest that makes you more awake in your waking state, which is what’s making you better at life to bring it back full circle.

Katie: That makes complete sense that your body would not want to be in both of those states at the same time.

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Katie: For people who are curious, and I am too, what is the like practical way that the program works? Is it like an online course that you follow because it’s something people can learn over time and then integrate without needing to follow something or what does it look like?

Emily: Yes, that’s exactly it. So, what I love about Ziva and the book and ZivaONLINE, basically, all of my trainings are designed to make you self-sufficient. It is designed to give you the keys to the car and the driving instructions so that you can do this stuff on your own for life, meaning that, you know, let’s say it is 11:00 at night or 10:00 at night and you’re in the room with your kids. You don’t need to like go get an iPad and make sure it’s charged and have it on dim mode, so the lights aren’t coming in their eyes and have the perfect speakers or headphones or… You know, there’s no electronics required once you graduate, which… And this is a little bit of a secret. It’s like all those meditation apps out there, the “free” meditation apps, they’re designed to keep you tethered to your phone. If they’re free to use… And that means they’re getting their money off of advertising dollars, which means that they are monetized by how long your eyeballs are on your phone.

And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my eyeballs on my phone for my meditation practice. And so, the idea here is that once you move through the online course, you have the tools to take with you for life. And I don’t know that I said this yet, but the Ziva technique is a trifecta of mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting. So, the three Ms, that’s what we teach. So, with the online course, it’s about 15 minutes a day for 15 days. So, it’s like, ideally, you just wake up before the kids get up and watch it first thing in the morning before coffee, and it builds upon itself. So, the first 3 days are mindfulness, and then days 4 through 12, you learn the meditation. And that’s really where the magic happens. That’s where this deep rest comes. That’s where you’re actually given something called a mantra, which is not a slogan, it’s not a saying, but it’s a very powerful mind vehicle. That’s what mantra means. It’s a song script word. Man means mind, and tra means vehicle. And that’s kind of, like, the key to the Ziva car.

So, you get that, and you use that days 4 through 12, and then once you become an expert in that, we move on to the manifesting. And that sounds a little witchy or a little hippy-dippy, but it’s not. It’s you getting clear on what it is that you want in your life. And I find that for so many of us, we’ve been in survival mode for so long that it’s easy to forget our dreams, especially as moms. It’s so easy to start taking care of everyone else and forget what you want. And so, I love this manifesting piece because you do it just for two minutes at the end of your meditation, and it’s time to start to ask a question such as, “What would I love right now? What would I love right now,” not, “What should I do,” no, “What do my kids need,” not, “What’s going to make me the most money,” not, “What would look good on Instagram,” but, “What would I love right now?”

And what I’ve found is the combination of meditation and manifesting is so much more powerful. It’s so much faster than either one alone. It’s like it’s supercharged. I just got off the phone with someone, and he said that he was a yoga teacher, but then he learned Ziva. And he said, “This is like jet fuel for my spiritual classes,” because even though a lot of us might think that we’re manifesting, we might even think that we’re praying, but what we’re accidentally doing is complaining, and we don’t even realize it. We’re asking questions like, “Why can’t I lose this weight? What’s wrong with my husband?” Like, “Why did she get a job and I didn’t?” And if you start to ask terrible questions, you’re gonna get terrible answers.

If you ask your body, “Why can’t I lose this weight,” your body will answer that question. If you ask, “Why does she have a boyfriend and I don’t,” again, your body will answer that question. So, instead, I teach people how to remember their dreams, how to use this very sacred time where the right and left hemispheres of the brain are functioning in unison to plant the seeds for everything that you want to create. So to ask questions like, “How much money would I love to make this year? What does my dream relationship with my body feel like? What does my dream schedule look like with my family? What does my dream relationship look like?” And then you start to move towards the positive instead of away from the negative.

Katie: I love that. I think that’s another thing that I’ve heard you say that I love so much is about the questions we ask ourselves because I think so many times we do that more in our head than we do… We wouldn’t ask those things of a friend, or we wouldn’t talk like that to other people, but we have that script running in our head, and then, you’re right, our brain answers the question. So, I think even that simple reframe is so amazing. And at the beginning, you talked a little bit about adaptation energy. I want to go a little bit deeper on that, if you don’t mind, and talk about how meditation helps replenish that, and what are the benefits of that?

Emily: So, I would define adaptation energy as your ability to handle a demand. It’s your ability to handle a change of expectations. So, as moms, we are dealing with, you know, changes of expectation and demands all day, every day. You thought you were gonna sleep until 7:00. Haha. Your kids woke up at 6:00. You thought you had eggs and then, uh oh, you realize that you didn’t have any. You know, you thought there was going to be no traffic driving your kids to school. It turns out it’s parking lot, and now they’re late for school. You know, you thought you were gonna be able to get all your work done by 2:00. Haha. Conference call went late, and now you’re late to pick up your kids. It’s just a constant stream of demands, a constant stream of changes of expectation. And these demands are burning up something that we call adaptation energy. And if you run out of adaptation energy and then you have another demand, then your body is going to launch into fight or flight whether you’ve read, “Eat, Pray, Love”, or not, whether you’ve read, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” or not because we don’t act in accordance with what we know.

We act in accordance with the baseline level of stress in our nervous systems. We all know how we should be acting. None of us are doing it because we’re stressed. You know, we know we shouldn’t drink a bottle of wine at night. We know we shouldn’t be binging on Netflix until 2:00 in the morning. We know we shouldn’t be scrolling through Instagram for an hour, but we do it anyway because we’re stressed. And so, if you start meditating every day, twice a day, not only are you getting rid of that stress, but you’re filling up your reservoirs with this adaptation energy. And so, does it take away the demands? No. What it does is that it increases your ability to elegantly handle the demands. So, instead of freaking out and having a full-blown fight or flight stress reaction on your kids by 6:00 at night because you’re exhausted, it’s like you just meditated. You have more patience. You have more creativity. You have some more gas in the tank to handle the flow of demands.

Katie: Got it. Yeah, that makes me think of several years ago, gosh, it’s probably been like five now, I hit a point where I thought I was gonna have a nervous breakdown because I was so stressed. And probably I had no adaptation energy left, but I had a business and family and just all the things on my plate, and I had this moment where I realized in business everything just… It’s automated. It flows. I have systems. It’s so easy. I get that part. But at home, I feel like I’m just treading water or juggling plates all the time. And I finally had this moment of clarity to realize that because in business I have systems, and objectives, and KPIs, and goals, and I run things according to a plan whereas, at home, I’m just trying to juggle everything in my head all of the time.

So, for me, part of it was figuring out how to put practical systems in place at home that reduce stress, so I didn’t have those open loops all the time, and I didn’t feel like I was constantly having to adapt. But I think you have the other piece of the puzzle, which is that you have to like give your brain the ability to have more adaptation energy with the two of those. I feel like that’s extremely effective for moms because we do have typically more on our plates than most people in society. And we’re juggling a lot, and we’re managing the, you know, emotional responsibility for our kids, and food, and house, and job a lot of times. So, I love that you talk about that. That’s so important.

Emily: Yes. And thank you for illustrating such a beautiful idea of how to get out of that survival mode. It’s like, yes, if you create a system to close those open loops, that’s another way to give yourself more adaptation energy. So, all those open cycles are burning up adaptation energy as well. So it’s two-fold. You want to increase your capacity, but whenever possible, we also want to remove the demand or delegate the demand or systematize the demand. So, it is. It’s hardware and software.

Katie: That makes sense. So, as we get near the end of our time, I always love to ask a couple of questions and the first being other than your own, which, of course, will be linked in the show notes, if there is a book or number of books that have dramatically impacted your life and if so what they are and why.

Emily: So, I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’m gonna go old school and go to a book that I read in high school. And it was Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead,” and I read it. I was in an AP literature class, and it’s basically… I mean, it can be… Some people call it like the capitalism manifesto. It can be taken out of context or taken too far because it’s very much celebrating the individual and the ego. The idea is that the ego is the thing that’s propelling society forward. But I read it at a time where I was… It was in a small town, and I was, you know, making straight A’s and I was the lead in the play. And, you know, I was succeeding in a lot of different areas in my life, and I think I was getting a little bit of tall poppy syndrome. And I started feeling like I would rather people like me then be my best because I started to see that I was excelling in these different areas.

At least my perception was that I was making other people uncomfortable or they didn’t like me. Now, I could’ve just been a meanie, and that’s why people didn’t like me. I don’t know. But I started diminishing myself, and playing small, and trying to make other people feel better by not being in my full power. And I read this book. I think I was a junior, and it really changed my life. It allowed me to step into my greatness, and it allowed me to see, well, like, me diminishing myself as not helping to lift anyone else up. And I quote from Marianne Williamson, which is, you know, “It’s our light that most frightens us, not our darkness. Who are we to play small? As you step into your greatness, you inspire other people to do the same.” That quote and book have really, really changed my life at a young age in high school.

Katie: I love that. That’s a new recommendation, and I’m actually gonna read it because I’ve had those thoughts as well. Like, there are times when I was worried that if I was like fully myself, I would be intimidating or, like, too much or, like, people wouldn’t like me because of that. And so, that actually really resonates with me. I’ll make sure those are linked in the show notes as well. Are there any other misconceptions about your area of expertise that you feel like people just don’t understand?

Emily: I mean, I’ve said it before, but I’m gonna say it again because I think it bears repeating because it’s so pervasive, and that is that people think they can’t meditate because they can’t clear their mind. That really is the biggest thing keeping so many people from practicing. I was on the subway the other day, and this guy was like, “What do you do?” And I said, “I’m a meditation teacher,” and I saw his face cringe. It’s like, “Oh, I can’t do that. It’s like I can’t clear my mind.” And this guy clearly had zero meditation training, and yet he was convinced, he was hell-bent on the fact that he couldn’t do it because he couldn’t clear his mind. So, I’m gonna be shouting this from the rooftops for a really long time. You don’t have to clear your mind in order to get the benefits of meditation.

Katie: I love it. And any parting advice to leave with the listeners today?

Emily: Well, I think this is a trick question for me because, for me, it’s find a teacher that you trust and you respect and invest the time to learn a meditation practice because it just makes everything else better. Life is sweeter. Food tastes better. Your body is stronger. Your sleep… I mean, it makes life so much more enjoyable. So, that��s my parting wisdom. Find a practice, invest the time, and just do it. It’s so worth it for you, for your kids, for your husband, for everyone around you. It’s worth it.

Katie: Awesome. And all of the links to find you and your book and your courses are in the show notes at wellnessmama.fm. So, you guys make sure to check that out, but anywhere else, people can find you and connect with you online?

Emily: Yeah, so the book and the online course and our live courses, that’s all at zivameditation.com. I know it’s a kind of a weird word, but it’s just Z-I-V-A, Ziva meditation, and then we’re all over social media just @Zivameditation.

Katie: Awesome. Emily, thank you so much for being here. This was super fun and enlightening, and I am definitely gonna be checking out all of your resources, and I know many others will as well. So, thank you for sharing.

Emily: Thank you for having me. Thank you for the body of work that you’ve created in helping so many people, especially parents because we need it.

Katie: Well, and thanks to all of you for listening and sharing one of your most valuable assets, your time, with both of us. We’re so grateful that you did, and I hope that you will join me again on the next episode of The Wellness Mama podcast.

If you’re enjoying these interviews, would you please take two minutes to leave a rating or review on iTunes for me? Doing this helps more people to find the podcast, which means even more moms and families could benefit from the information. I really appreciate your time, and thanks as always for listening.

The post Mindfulness for Moms With Ziva Meditation | Wellness Mama Podcast appeared first on METAMORPHOSIS.

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[denisalvney]

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first!

These days, Acai bowls are the hottest thing on the streets.

It’s been called “the healthiest breakfast on the planet” by some news outlets.

The hype machine is operating at full capacity for this South American berry. It’s a superfood that will help you lose weight, extend your lifespan, and help defend your body against aging!

Are these claims true?

Clearly the people marketing acai berries and bowls don’t care – as long as they can hype the crap out of it, there’s money to be made.

Hell, I walked down the street the other day and saw a place named “Acai Ya Later.”

If you’ve been reading Nerd Fitness for a while, it’s no secret I’m a fan of a well done pun, even if they need to mispronounce “acai” to make it work.

Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of bogus health claims, even if there are puns involved!

So today I’m gonna dig into the facts about acai berries, acai bowls, and eternal life from fruit.

No hype.

No acai supplement to sell you. No “superfood” claims.

Just the truth. And funny gifs. Always gifs.

What is an acai berry?

The acai berry is the small purple fruit found on the acai palm.

They come from Brazil and other northern regions of South America. 80% of the berry is actually the seed, which for the most part people don’t eat.

This leaves only about 20% for the flesh and skin of the berry, the stuff people generally do eat.

Why should you care about acai?

Generally, the answer lies in the word “antioxidants”.

I know, “Why the hell do I care about antioxidants?”

Great question.

Antioxidants are substances that fight a process called oxidation.

When your body interacts with too much sunlight, toxins in smoke, air pollution, alcohol, and other challenges, it can create “free radicals,” AKA molecules with an unpaired electron.

And these molecules? They are single and ready to mingle. So when they collide with an electron that’s already paired, they more or less steal it.

Rude.

This molecule then has to steal another electron, and the process continues. You can see how this could get out of hand. While some free radicals are normal, too many in our bodies can indeed lead to cancer [2].

Note that “Free Radicals” are different from “the New Radicals,” a one-hit wonder:

Which brings me back to antioxidants.

Depending on the particular molecule, antioxidants either provide the free radical with an extra electron, or break it down altogether.

The point: antioxidants neutralize free radicals, making them harmless.

That’s why antioxidants are important.

In our quest to get to the bottom of the hype on acai, antioxidants will prove critical. But I want to address an even more important point before we get there.

How do you pronounce “acai”?

We need to talk about how you actually pronounce “acai?” I’ve seen it make all sorts of people tongue tied.

And you want to sound important and all-knowing at your next cocktail party, right?

It’s “”ah-sigh-ee.” Like this:

Often times, when exotic fruit is brought to the West, it’s name is changed so it’s easier to pronounce.

Story time: This happened with the fruit “kiwi,” actually called “Yang-tao” in China. But marketers banked on “kiwi” being easier to say than Yang-tao, pronounced “yahng tou” in English. So they named it after the famous kiwi bird from New Zealand.

And boom, that’s why you know kiwi fruit as “kiwis.”

Such a name swap didn’t happen with acai.

Acai has kept its original Brazilian name, which is why us English speakers trip up pronouncing it[3].

Which is a logical segue to our next section.

Why are acai bowls so popular?

The credit of the acai berry being popular outside of Brazil can be attributed to Ryan and Jeremy Black, two brothers from Southern California.

Together with their friend Ed Nichols they realized the acai berry could have a potential gigantic market in the West.

The Black brothers and Nichols came across acai on a trip to Brazil. The locals encouraged them to try it, proclaiming the health benefits of the berry: an energy boost, kickstarted immunity, and detoxification.

They got HOOKED on these things, and from then on, whenever Ryan, Jeremy, and Ed were in Brazil, they would search for an icy acai bowl.

On one such trip, the Black brothers and Nichols discussed how great it would be to enjoy acai back in the States.

Strange fruit from Brazil with antioxidants?

Exotic, healthy, and easy to make grandiose claims about?

CHA-CHING!!!

And that’s why acai bowls can now be found in every city in America with a punny store name.

What’s in an acai bowl? What are some typical acai bowl recipes?

In Brazil, the acai (in the form of frozen pulp) is generally served in a bowl with granola and bananas. Sometimes a fourth ingredient would be used, the Amazonian fruit guarana, which contains more caffeine than coffee.

Simple enough.

How about here in the states? That’s where acai bowls get cray.

You’ll for sure get acai berries, granola, and banana. And maybe guarana. But how about some of the following:

Agave

Apple Juice

Almond Milk

Almond Butter

Blueberries

Coconut

Honey

Mango Juice

Peanut Butter

Pomegranate

Soy Milk

Strawberries

Pick a handful of the above, mix them in a bowl, and BOOM! Acai bowl.

One thing most ingredients listed or referenced have in common, is they are carbohydrate and/or sugar heavy. Some, like agave and honey, are more or less just sugar.

Which brings me to an important and really fun point:

Fact checking the acai bowl hype

There are a lot of health claims associated to the acai berry. Some of which make my eyebrows raise. Others make me nod approvingly. And one or two that make my soul hurt. 

Which is why I’d like to introduce my new favorite Nerd Fitness game, “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”:

CLAIM #1: “There are good antioxidants in acai berries.”

REALITY: True!

Acai berries are indeed high in antioxidants[4]. Which is great, for the reasons we talked about earlier. When people talk about the benefits of the acai berry, it more or less comes down to antioxidants.

I support this claim. Now, I will mention just about any berry you pick (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry) is also a great source of antioxidants. But I won’t completely steal the acai berry’s thunder.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #2: “Acai berries are nutrient dense.”

REALITY: Also true!

Acai berries contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries. Plus acai is a great source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. They also contain plenty of minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

Good stuff there. As a proponent of eating REAL food that are nutrient dense, I would throw acai into that category. An acai berry is REAL food.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #3: “Acai berries aid digestion.”

REALITY: eh, sort of.

Fiber aids digestion. And acai skin and pulp contain fiber. So acai aids digestion?

Sure, that’s true. But it’s not the complete picture. All sort of things contain fiber, like every other berry you’ve ever heard of. Plus, some food like carrots, are more much fibrous than the acai berry.

There is no special acai ingredient to improve digestion. If fiber is what you’re after, an acai berry isn’t a bad decision. But it’s not the single best option.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #4: “Acai has anti-aging powers.”

REALITY: Bollocks! Hogwash!

Antioxidants are a good thing, because keeping your cells healthy and clear of free radicals is important. But are your wrinkles going to smooth out with the help of a berry? Or really, anything shy of botox? Don’t buy into this.

Acai have no special anti-aging magic. If the claim is antioxidants reverse aging, sure, in that they keep cells healthy. But not in the “I’m going to reverse time” way.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #5: “Acai will improve libido.”

REALITY: Poppycock!

Will eating nutritiously lead to improved health? Which will improve how your body functions? Which could include libido? Sure.

Is there a berry out there that will make you awesome in the bedroom? No.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

CLAIM #6: “Acai berries help weight loss.”

REALITY: False.

“Acai is a nutrient-rich source of antioxidants, much like many other fruits, but there is nothing magical about the fruit to cause weight loss.” Thank you David Grotto, RD[5].

Promises like better health, improved libido, and weight loss sell well. That’s why you’ll come across them. But as the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Naturally, the idea that a berry will make you lose weight is silly. It depends on what else you are consuming, and in what quantities, in addition to the acai berry. I’m going to cover this more extensively below.

PANTS ON FIRE SCORE:

Can I lose weight eating acai bowls?

Maybe!

It truly depends on how you used to eat and what else you eat every day.

To help paint this picture, let’s talk about the carbohydrates and sugars in an acai bowl.

Let’s start with the traditional acai bowl: acai puree, granola, and some banana. That will run about 355 calories, including 50 grams of carbohydrates, with 18 grams of those being sugar.

For comparison, the average bagel from a deli will have about 350 calories and 50 grams of carbs.

And that’s just a traditional bowl: what about the Americanized versions?

Acai puree often has sugar added to it, since the acai berry itself isn’t too sweet. Plus, an acai place might also pour things like honey and agave into the bowl. And don’t forget fruit contains quite a bit of sugar.

When you add it all up, it becomes a lot.

Let’s analyze the 12 oz. Acai Berry Bowl from “Juice It Up”: acai puree, a strawberry juice blend, actual strawberries, blueberries, and guarana. This rakes up:

340 calories

66 grams of carbohydrates

60 grams of sugar (more than a can of Coke!)

If you called this meal a “carb bomb” or “sugar bomb,” I wouldn’t disagree with you. And none of this factors in additional toppings like coconut flakes or granola.

You can see how all of this adds up quickly. Acai bowls with over 90 grams of sugar are not unheard of.

That’s why I cringe when I read the Huffington Post’s article that acai bowls are the world’s healthiest breakfast[6]. I have no problem if you eat an acai bowl for breakfast.

But don’t let the good attributes of a South American berry distract you. Carbs, calories, and sugar don’t count less just because there are antioxidants present.

Eating a pile of pureed carbs, topped with carbs, and sprinkled with carbs, might be only a slightly better decision than a bowl of Lucky Charms.

All of this to say: be smart and learn about what you’re eating! Know the caloric, carbohydrate and sugar makeup of the food you eat, even if it’s “super.”

What’s a better plan for breakfast?

If you are going to eat breakfast, shift your focus from a pile of carbs to something loaded with protein and healthy fat. It’ll help fill you up in a more calorically-efficient manner, provide your muscles with rebuilding fuel, and not spike your insulin levels like sugar/carbs can do[7].

Eggs are a breakfast staple that Team Nerd Fitness wholly endorses. You can read our five favorite quick recipes here.

If you need some other examples for meal ideas, check out our post on 10 meals that can be made in 10 minutes.

But that’s only if you actually want to eat breakfast. You can also…

SKIP BREAKFAST. Some people forgo breakfast all together! Like me. It’s called intermittent fasting. It lets you make one less meal decision for the day, you’re less likely to overeat in a day, and it can help manage your insulin levels.

So start with protein in the morning. Or skip breakfast. But personally I wouldn’t start with a bucket of sugar in puree form if I was trying to lose weight.

Bummed out that your superfood breakfast isn’t that super? I hear ya. There’s nothing worse than TRYING to be healthy and discovering the food you thought was helping you lose weight is actually making things worse! Crap. Fun fact: I used to eat tons of granola bars and thought they were healthy (nope, carb and sugar bombs – might as well have been a Snickers!)

So whether it’s making sense of healthy breakfasts, learning how to eat better the rest of the day, or even just having an accountability partner to check in with, Nerd Fitness has helped thousands.

If you are looking for a personal coach that will help you stay accountable without judgement, help guide you to make better food choices, and get you results results that stick, check out our uber popular 1-on-1 online coaching program!

It’s kind of like having Yoda in your pocket (through your phone, not the Force…yet).

If this sounds like something that could help you, schedule a free call! You can talk to our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other! Click the image below to schedule now.

Be wary of anything called a superfood!

If you ever read anything about a “superfood,” let this act as a public service announcement.

Be skeptical. Marketers love this term because it’s not defined, regulated, or provable. Meaning it can be used at whim to sell whatever to desperate folks trying to lose weight with zero repercussions

BOOOOO!

The acai is a well hyped piece of fruit thanks to a serious marketing engine and lots of money at stake.

Like most berries, it has good antioxidants and nutrients. Good stuff.

And If you like the taste and want to treat yo self? Occasionally, hell yeah.

Should you eat one everyday for breakfast? Especially smothered in granola, drizzled with honey, and topped with more carbs/sugar?

There’s likely a better option if you’re not seeing success and losing weight. Here’s our advice on healthy eating for weight loss.

Don’t let headlines and hype distract you from what’s really going on. Tons of calories and sugar in the AM is a bad strategy if you’re trying to lose weight.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh on acai? Or does this berry deserve to have some of its hype squashed. Let me know in the comments.

Also, do you have any other “superfoods” you want us to take on in future “Liar, Liar Pants on Fire” posts?

-Steve, who is definitely NOT hiding from Brazilian acai marketing companies in my apartment closet, so don’t bother looking there.

PS: If this article has you flipped upside down, and now you don’t know WHAT to eat, in addition to our 1-on-1 Coaching program, we also have a free 10-level Nutrition Blueprint you can download for free! Print it out, hang it on your fridge, and start making better food choices today.

You can get yours fo’ free when you sign up in the box below:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

I identify as a:

Woman

Man

ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here[8]

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Study on free radicals and cancer found here.

Fun fact: if you say “acai” three times into a bathroom mirror a free radical shows up and slaps you in the mouth.

Check out the study here.

Check out that WebMD article here.

Check out the Huffinton Post piece here

Study on protein vs. carbs on insulin is here.

Photo: indian jones, acai berry, old man, acai bowl, acai bowl II, rockstar, jump, eggs, ninja

The Truth About Acai Bowls: Read this first! published first on https://www.nerdfitness.com

[milenasanchezmk]

Grok Didn’t Take Supplements, So Why Should I? (and a Giveaway)

The main objective of following the Primal Blueprint is to extract the healthiest, happiest, longest and most productive life possible from our bodies – and to look and feel good in the process.

Our 10,000-year-old Primal genes expect us to emulate the way our ancestors ate and moved; and the Primal Blueprint says we should do exactly as they expect. While there are many things we can do (or eat) today that very closely approximate what Grok did to trigger positive gene expression, there are also a number of obstacles that can thwart our attempts to be as Primal as possible. Artificial light prompts us to stay up too late and sleep too little. Electronic entertainment competes for our time when we should be out walking and basking in sunlight. We don’t always have access to ideal foods. We shower too much in water that’s too hot. We use medicines to mask our symptoms instead of allowing our bodies to deal directly with the problem. You get my point. You can’t go back to the paleolithic.

One of my tasks is to find the shortcuts—the easy ways to get the same genetic expression benefits Grok got—but by using 21st century technology or just plain old common sense. Working out in Vibram Fivefingers to simulate going barefoot is an example. Or learning how to spend time in the sun without sunscreen AND without burning. Getting more from a 20-minute full-body exercise routine than from a 3-hour cardio workout is yet another example. And given the lack of certain critical nutrients in even the healthiest diets, finding the best supplements is another.

Here are a few of the best categories of supplements I can recommend to just about everyone:

1. Antioxidant Booster

Some people claim exogenous antioxidants are useless or even harmful because we already have our three main internal “onboard” antioxidant systems that take care of most of the normal oxidative damage when we are healthy, unstressed and eating well (catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione). But these systems can come up short when we are under stress (who isn’t), eating too many sugars and other carbs, trans and hydrogenated fats, or drinking alcohol, or when we are exercising inappropriately. Theoretically, that still ought to be no problem, because our bodies were designed to get additional antioxidant support—and hormetic stimulus— from the foods we eat.

Unfortunately, many of our historically healthy sources of dietary antioxidants have gone extinct or have been rendered impotent by today’s aggressive factory farming techniques. In the fruit industry, for example, obtaining the highest possible sugar content has replaced antioxidants as the focus. Fruit is bred for sugar and durability, rather than nutrient content.

That’s one reason why I’ve always emphasized and encouraged the consumption of non-starchy veggies and brightly colored berries—they’re some of the most antioxidant-rich produce around. But I believe that we also need a broader mix of different antioxidants in order to emulate the wide variety of wild plant foods we evolved consuming. That means taking a supplement to obtain hard-to-get nutrients like full spectrum vitamin E (not just alpha tocopherol), mixed carotenoids (not just beta carotene), tocotrienols, NAC, alpha lipoic acid, curcumin, resveratrol, milk thistle, CoQ10 and quercetin to name a few. Now, you could make sure to eat all the foods that contain those nutrients, and in an ideal world I’d prefer you do that. But not everyone can, or even wants to. The convenience of modern technology is a reality, a tool that can be used to good effect.

Of course, too much of any one single antioxidant (in the absence of others) has been shown to have potentially negative effects. But when you take a good broad-spectrum antioxidant formula, all these antioxidants can work synergistically to mitigate oxidative damage and then help each other recycle back to their potent antioxidant form after donating an electron to the antioxidant effort. For that reason, I take a high-potency multi-vitamin loaded with extra antioxidants on an irregular basis.

Irregular? Huh?

Nowadays, I’ve got my health dialed in. I eat right, move correctly, sleep well, and kinda-sorta handle stress adequately. I don’t need to take an antioxidant supplement on a daily basis, so I take it intermittently. One pill after breakfast one day, three the next day, and none for half a week. Then I’ll take it every other day at varying dosages, then back off for another half week. That’s just an example, not a prescription. I jump around, basically. What’s funny is that because I’m fairly healthy, taking Master Formula every day could conceivably offer diminishing, or even negative returns. The same negative effects you see bandied about. Taking it the way I do now has a hormetic effect, the phenomenon whereby a moderate stressor upregulates your own antioxidant mechanisms to make you healthier and more robust.

2. Probiotics

Grok ate dirt. All day, every day. Hey, when you never wash your hands or your food (or anything for that matter) you pretty much can’t avoid it. But with all that soil came billions of soil-based organisms (mostly bacteria and yeast) that entered his mouth daily and populated his gut. Most were “friendly” bacteria that actually helped him better digest food and ward off infections. In fact, much of Grok’s (and our) immune system evolved to depend on these healthy gut bacteria living in us symbiotically. Grok also ate the occasional “unfriendly” organisms that had the potential to cause illness, but as long as the healthy flora well-outnumbered the bad guys, all was well. Several trillion bacteria live symbiotically in our gut today – some good and some bad. Much of your health depends on which of the two is winning the war.

The problem today is that we don’t eat dirt; we wash everything. Of course, given the crap that’s in and on the dirt around us, it’s probably best that we do wash it all. But in the process we never get a chance to ingest the healthy bacteria that our genes expect us to. In most healthy people this doesn’t usually present a problem. As long as there are some healthy gut bacteria present, as long as we don’t get too stressed out (stress hormones wreck the gut), too sick (diarrhea and vomiting are ways the body purges bad bacteria – but it purges good bacteria with them), or take antibiotics (antibiotics tend to kill both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria), and as long as we are eating well, those healthy bacteria can flourish and keep us well.

Unfortunately, we live in a time when stress is everywhere, where we do tend to get sick or take antibiotics, where certain processed foods support the growth of unhealthy bacteria and yeast forms while choking out the healthy flora. Many people whose diets include daily doses of yogurt or acidophilus are able to maintain healthy gut flora, but these sources aren’t always reliable (pasteurizing and added sugars can reduce their effectiveness), and not everyone can tolerate dairy that well.

For that reason, I think it’s wise to take probiotic supplements on occasion. Not necessarily every day, since once these “seeds” have been planted in a healthy gut, they tend to multiply and flourish easily on their own, especially if you feed them (see the next section). I’d certainly take extra probiotics under times of great stress or when you’ve been sick or are taking (or have just taken) a course of antibiotics. The reversal of fortune from a few days of taking probiotics can be dramatic. Better than eating dirt, I always say.

3. Prebiotics

For most of human history (and prehistory), carbohydrates were different. Rather than refined grains, white sugar, and white rice, we had wild tubers. There’s something to understand about the wild tuber: They generally don’t turn into creamy smooth starchy goodness when baked. They’re tough, fibrous things that provide a fraction of the usable energy modern cultivars provide (PDF). Whereas your typical kilogram of potato offers over 1000 calories, a kilo of many wild tuber varieties hover at around 300 calories. Eating these would have provided a moderate dose of glucose – akin to, perhaps, butternut squash—plus a load of prebiotic fiber for the gut bacteria.

That’s very important. Prebiotics are carbohydrates that we cannot digest. When we eat them, they pass through to the colon where our gut bacteria consume them. In doing so, they create short chain fatty acids like butyrate and propionate, which have a host of health benefits. This is in addition to supporting the growth and stability of our healthy gut bacteria.

We get a lot of prebiotics through foods like garlic, onions, leafy greens, and other plant matter. But it’s often easier and more reliable and more commensurate to the doses our ancestors commonly ate to take prebiotic supplements like inulin and raw potato starch (a source of a particularly potent prebiotic, resistant starch).

5. Fish Oil

In Grok’s day, virtually every animal he consumed was a decent source of vital Omega 3 fatty acids. The fish he caught had eaten algae to produce Omega 3 fatty acids rich in EPA and DHA (which helped build the larger human brain over a few hundred thousand years). The animals he hunted grazed on plants that generated high levels of Omega 3 in these meats. Even the vegetation Grok consumed provided higher levels Omega 3s than today’s vegetables. In Grok’s diet, the ratio of pro-inflammatory (bad) Omega 6 to anti-inflammatory (good and healthful) Omega 3 was close to 1:1.

Unfortunately, most people with a typical American diet today get way too much Omega 6 from seed oils and way too little Omega 3 from seafood and pastured meat, and that unhealthy ratio tends to keep many of us in a constant state of systemic inflammation. Since Omega 3 oils are found in fewer and fewer modern foods (fish being one of the few, but fresh fish also being impractical to eat regularly due to heavy-metal content) the single easiest way to overcome this serious deficit and rebalance your Omegas is to take highly purified Omega 3 fish oil supplements. The research on fish oils is extraordinary, showing benefits across the board from decreased risk for heart disease and cancer to lowering triglycerides, improving joint mobility, decreasing insulin resistance and improving brain function and mood. The drug companies are even starting to recognize the power of this “natural” medicine and have begun promoting prescription fish oil (at four times the normal price, of course!).

Nobody “needs” fish oil. But not everyone’s willing to eat seafood on a regular basis and avoid seed oils high in omega-6 fats/

6. Meal Replacement

The reality of modern life means that sometimes there just isn’t enough to time to lovingly cook a real Primal meal. Sometimes you need something quick, easy, and nourishing. To fit these requirements, I created Primal Fuel. It combines coconut milk (for healthy saturated fats, including medium chain triglycerides for easy ketone production), whey protein isolate (single most bioavailable protein around), and prebiotic fiber for a low-carb, moderate-fat, high-protein meal. Add a few ice cubes, a cup of water, maybe some greens or berries, blend it all together, and you’ve got yourself a legitimate meal in a cup. The coconut milk provides creaminess and texture, so it tastes almost exactly like a milk shake.

I’m a busy guy, though. That’s why I needed something like this to have on hand. I just find it useful to have something quick and shelf-stable that doesn’t compromise my eating regimen or health. Eating low carb often means being at a loss as to what to have for a snack or a small meal. We are so used to reaching for the bagel, a few pieces of fruit or something sweet as a snack. On the other hand, there are also times when we just don’t feel like fixing a full meal or we are strapped for time.

7.  Collagen Powder

In a world full of shrinkwrapped steaks, roasts, ground meat, and other examples of lean muscle meat, people often forget that about half of a cow is “other stuff.” That other stuff includes marrow, liver, kidney, heart, and other organs, but the vast majority of the other stuff is bone and connective tissues like tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

These days, the bones and connective tissue usually go into pet food, glue, and other industrial products. But for millions of years, right up until your grandparents’ time, hominids consumed as much of the animal as possible. They made soups, stocks, broths, aspics, head cheese. They ate the tendons straight up. They gnawed the gristly bits at the end of bones. In other words, they consumed a lot of collagen along with the muscle meat.

Most modern people eat only the muscle meat, and this is significant. Muscle meat has a totally different amino acid profile than collagen. Meat is rich in methionine. Collagen is rich in glycine. Methionine metabolism requires and depletes glycine. In animal studies, diets high in methionine lower lifespan and cause a range of health issues—unless the diet is also balanced with glycine. We see glimpses of this occurring in humans, too.

To skirt around it, and to reduce the need to spend all my time making bone broth (which I still do, just not enough), I take collagen powder.

8. Vitamin D3

For tens of thousands of years, we lived and worked “outside.” This was the situation because, for all intents and purposes, “inside” didn’t exist. Now, we spend all day inside. Many of us simply can’t get the amount of sunlight our genes expect because of where we live, like the Toronto transplant whose ancestors evolved along the equator. For many, it’s a rare treat to see the sun, feel its rays, and make some vitamin D the old fashioned way, yet our bodies are set up to obtain vitamin D from sun exposure. It’s safer that way—we only produce as much as we need. It’s more enjoyable that way—we make endogenous opioids in response to sun exposure.

We can get vitamin D from foods, but it’s tough. Unless you want to exist entirely on a diet of sockeye salmon (there are worse things to eat, I guess) and cod liver oil, you won’t get enough vitamin D from your diet.

It’s true that sun itself carries some unique benefits separate from vitamin D. We should strive to get moderate sun exposure. But vitamin D is the most important benefit of sun exposure, and it’s coincidentally a really easy—and incredibly important—one to replace with supplementation.

9. Vitamin K2

We can eat it in natto (a sticky, gooey fermented soybean from Japan), aged gouda (my preferred method), goose liver (I always grab goose paté when I see it), and some other foods—see here for a comprehensive database—but the most reliable way to obtain this scarce yet vital nutrient is through supplementation.

Why do we care so much?

Vitamin K2 essentially directs calcium to the right spots. If you have good vitamin K2 status, calcium goes to teeth and bones. If you have bad vitamin K2 status, calcium may go to the arteries, leading to calcification.

10. Primal Calm

Instead of facing the kinds of chronic “made-up” stress we have today—like jobs we hate, traffic we hate more, and other trappings of modern society—our early ancestors faced acute stress—like encounters with dangerous animals or enemy tribes and intense hunting sessions. That’s the environment in which we evolved: big spikes in stress followed by long valleys. The environment we have now: constant elevations in stress with very little respite. The situations have flipped. Our bodies are set up to deal with acute stressors and woefully unequipped to deal with chronic stressors. That’s where supplementation can come in.

Phosphatidylserine is the lead ingredient in Primal Calm, a custom formulation that blunts the spike of cortisol in the bloodstream in response to stress. As I mentioned in yesterday’s video, my old training partner Brad and I used PS for over 20 years to help speed recovery from our crazy training binges, but PS and the supportive ingredients in Primal Calm are also effective against routine modern life stressors like jet travel, hectic daily routines, work stress, compromised sleep, and so on. 

While I don’t categorize this as a daily supplement (long-term anyway), it wouldn’t be unsafe to use Primal Calm that way if that fits your needs (just check with your doctor if you have a health condition or take any medications—standard suggestions for any supplement protocol). Personally, I’ve benefited from using Primal Calm as a “situational” supplement—taking a few capsules when my body and/or emotions are under extra stress.

Now for the Giveaway…

For one randomly chosen commenter on today’s post, I’m giving away a bottle of Primal Damage Control, a Primal Essentials Kit (Primal Omegas, Primal Sun, and Primal Probiotics) and a package of my unflavored Collagen Peptides. It’s a full Primal arsenal of nutritional support for your health and performance.

Just tell me what questions you have about supplementation. Are you wondering about specific nutrients? Special circumstances or health conditions? Particular uses or formulations? Don’t be shy.

*Be sure to comment before midnight tonight (1/24/18 PST) to be eligible to win.

I hope this post opens up the conversation to a topic I feel quite strongly about. If you have any questions or comments please drop me a line in the comment board.